Hearts, Heather, and Highland Vows: History and Legends of Scottish Weddings

With Valentine’s Day coming up, my thoughts turned to weddings, and particularly weddings in Scotland, since I've been writing a Highland romance.

What could one expect at a Scottish wedding in previous centuries?

Bagpipes, kilts, and, of course, handfasting.

Not so fast. Handfasting may or may not have been part of a traditional wedding in Scotland.

A handfasting ceremony, as shown in the films Braveheart, Outlander, and Game of Thrones, involved tying the couple’s hands together with ribbons or cloth—perhaps a tartan sash. However, this symbol of joining two to become one fails the historical authenticity test.

Prior to the Reformation, handfasting referred to a betrothal, similar to a modern-day engagement but done in a formal ceremony. The future husband gave a guarantee to the woman’s family as a price for his bride and later as payment of a dowry. The contract was sealed by a handshake, or joining of the hands. There is conflicting evidence as to whether the ceremony historically involved actually tying their hands together. The actual wedding took place sometime later.

Some 18th century writers claimed that handfasting referred to a trial marriage. Supposedly, the practice began in a small town where, at an annual fair, unmarried men and women would choose a partner and be joined in a handfasting ceremony. These trial marriages would last a year and a day, or until the next fair. At that time, the partners could either marry permanently or agree to separate and choose another partner.

The cloth wrapped around a couple's
hands in a handfasting ceremony
signifies two becoming one.

Regardless of the accuracy of the legends, couples today often use a cloth or ribbons to bind their hands together during the marriage ceremony.

Other Traditions

The Wedding Walk

A traditional Scottish wedding procession would take place from one end of the village to the other, led by one or more bagpipers. Villagers lined the street and cheered as the groom escorted the maid of honor behind the piper. The bride followed, escorted by the best man. Family members and villagers joined the procession to the kirk (church). Today, the bride is often piped down the aisle, and the “Highland Wedding” tune is still popular.

A wedding walk at a contemporary wedding.
(Alchemy Photo)

The skirl of the bagpipes was believed to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck to the marriage, as was crossing a river or stream twice during the processional.

Following the wedding, the piper led the procession to the reception, where he was paid with a dram of whiskey. This may have been one origin of “paying the piper.”

Kilts

A groom and his best man dressed
for a Scottish wedding

Of course, kilts were worn by the groom and other men attending the wedding. In ancient times, the kilt was a full-length garment whose upper half could be worn as a cloak draped over the shoulder, or brought up over the head as a hood. For a formal occasion such as a wedding, the tartan kilt today is shorter, and is worn with a “Bonnie Prince Charlie” jacket and waistcoat. The outfit is completed with white or black hose, gillie brogues, kilt pin, sgian dubh (a knife), black belt with buckle, formal sporran (leather pouch) with chain strap, wing collar shirt, black or colored bow tie, and a piece of lucky heather on the lapel.

Good Luck Symbols

Other traditions in various areas of Scotland were carried out to provide good luck to the couple:

• During the wedding walk and the grand march to the reception, the bride stepped out with her right foot first for good luck.
• A sixpence coin in the bride's left shoe promised prosperity.
• A sprig of white heather was tucked into the bride's bouquet as a good luck token in the Scottish Borders.
• The Oathing Stone: An oath taken over a stone was said to make the marriage binding. This evolved into sometimes binding the bride’s and groom’s hands together on top of a stone while saying the wedding vows.
• In some parts of Scotland, the couple carved their names into the bark of a tree or on a stone. Some such bridal stones still exist across Scotland today.

Scottish weddings included several other traditions, including events before the ceremony (such as hen’s night and stag night) and following the ceremony, with lively dancing at the reception.

But there’s no doubt that a historically accurate Scottish wedding would have included kilts and bagpipes. In Scotland, tradition remains important, and many of the traditions are symbolically important to a successful marriage.

What are your favorite wedding traditions?

Sources:
Historical Handfasting
Weddings — The Clan Buchanan
Scottish Wedding Traditions: The Tartan Ceremony | Irish Scottish Roots
Scottish Wedding Traditions - Historic UK

Multi-award-winning author Marie Wells Coutu finds beauty in surprising places, like undiscovered treasures, old houses, and gnarly trees. All three books in her Mended Vessels series, contemporary stories based on the lives of biblical women, have won awards in multiple contests. She is currently working on historical romances set in her native western Kentucky in the 1930s and ‘40s. An unpublished novel, Shifting Currents, placed second in the inspirational category of the nationally recognized Maggie Awards. Learn more at www.MarieWellsCoutu.com.

In the misty Scottish Highlands, Kenna MacLaren defies English law by playing bagpipes to keep alive the music and memories. When she finds a duke’s nephew wounded, she faces an impossible choice. Helping him could cost her everything, but abandoning him goes against her faith. As English soldiers hunt for rebels, Kenna must decide if she can trust this man with her family's safety--and her heart. Get your free copy of this new novelette, The Piper's Secret, here, when you sign up for Marie’s newsletter, or buy it on Kindle.