'It's the kilt, the bagpipes — the whole romantic bit. From that point of view there's no difference between mainstream or gay'

FOR CENTURIES, people have been running away to Scotland to get hitched. Since 1753, when an Act of Parliament in England stated that two people under the age of 21 must have their parents' consent before tying the knot, illicit young lovers have been escaping north to pledge their troth.

These days, of course, it's less the legal loopholes and the threat of an angry father-in-law wielding a blunderbuss, and more the lure of castles and kilts that are the main attraction for couples searching for a spot of rugged romance. But it has taken a German — admittedly one that has been living in Edinburgh for 16 years — to realise the particular appeal his adopted country holds for gay couples.

Originally from Frankfurt, Roland Becker visited Edinburgh in 1994 for a summer job and never left. "I fell in love with the place," he says simply. "Originally it was the change in pace — everything was just a bit more relaxed here. I just loved the feel of Edinburgh: the architecture, the make-up of the city, the festival, the beaches — you come here and you can't really leave. The biggest thing you have to get over is the weather."

He initially worked in tourism, then ran a language school. "When I was still working in tourism I was contacted by a company specialising in weddings abroad for Germans, wanting to do Gretna Green," he says. "I wasn't so keen on that because it was very much a conveyor belt situation, so I said, 'Why don't you come to Edinburgh and get married here?' which they did and it was very successful. I realised Scotland has a very big pull for Germans coming over to get married."

Then, in December 2005, the dramatic step making same-sex civil partnerships legal came into force in the UK. Importantly, in Scotland you don't even have to be a resident of the country to take advantage of the law. It is this openness — unique in the UK — that has proved irresistible to gay and lesbian couples. And so, this month, Tying The Knot Scotland was launched, Scotland's first wedding planning company for same-sex couples, with Becker in partnership with US-born project manager Susan Cook and San Fransiscan event planner Stirland Martin. "The time was right," says Becker. "We had the right people and it works very well.

"There is a strong gay scene here already so that is part of the appeal, obviously, but generally it's the kilt, the bagpipes — the whole romantic bit. From that point of view there's no difference from mainstream couples or gay couples. They come here either because they have family connections or they met here or they fell in love here or they just love the outdoors and do Munro-bagging and the West Highland Way, that kind of thing."

A bonus is that you can get married almost anywhere in Scotland. "If you find a registrar that is willing to marry you on top of a hill and the hill has a licence, then you can do that," says Becker.

"We have a wedding at Eilean Donan castle on Skye in December and that is one of the main pulls because everyone knows the castle, but you can get married on a loch,

on a mountain, anywhere."

However, no one has yet taken him at his word. "Nobody has asked our registrar to put on a diving suit and perform the ceremony underwater," he notes.

The company can take care of every detail, from the minute the couple touches down in Scotland.

"We pick them up at the airport, organise all the legal documents, money handling, arrange the venue, flowers, we can even be witnesses if they want, hotel, helicopter, horse-drawn carriages ... everything until they leave again."

It is the first Scottish company to join the IGLTA (International Gay/Lesbian Travel Association), says Becker proudly. "We have formed relationships with many amazing properties in Scotland such as Cameron House, Roxburghe Hotel and Golf Course Kelso, as well as Kinloch Lodge on Skye," he adds.

"We found many hotels in Scotland that were willing to work with us."

Interestingly, most were not actively marketing their properties in the gay/lesbian market, despite the fact that the pink travel pound brings an estimated 30

billion to the UK each year.

"When we decided to form Tying The Knot Scotland, our primary vision was to put Scotland on the map internationally in the gay/lesbian travel marketplace. This is really an exciting time for us as we have found an amazing open-minded attitude to our company and a positive response to our ideas."

As for the main differences between civil partnerships and more traditional weddings, Becker says: "I think generally gay weddings are a bit more low-key

and discerning. They know what they want and are a bit more demanding."

Maybe it will soon be time to dust down that wetsuit after all.

A version of this article first appeared in the 8 August edition of Scotland on Sunday. "We have a wedding at Eilean Donan castle on Skye in December and that is one of the main pulls because everyone knows the castle, but you can get married on a loch, on a mountain, anywhere."

However, no one has yet taken him at his word. "Nobody has asked our registrar to put on a diving suit and perform the ceremony underwater," he notes.

The company can take care of every detail, from the minute the couple touches down in Scotland. "We pick them up at the airport, organise all the legal documents, money handling, arrange the venue, flowers, we can even be witnesses if they want, hotel, helicopter, horse-drawn carriages ... everything until they leave again."

Interestingly, most were not actively marketing their properties in the gay/lesbian market, despite the fact that the pink travel pound brings an estimated 30 billion to the UK each year.

As for the main differences between civil partnerships and more traditional weddings, Becker says: "I think generally gay weddings are a bit more low-key and discerning. They know what they want and are a bit more demanding."

Maybe it will soon be time to dust down that wetsuit after all. n