A Scottish wedding - nothing like the play

Robert and I are just back from a very fine wedding, for nz_bookwyrm and Catlin, both scholars to hobbitomm.

It was small and intimate and relaxed, like being at a miniature event in a castle. Having a small castle to ourselves for the weekend, I felt vaguely like I was on the set of Peter's friends, though noone had horrible news to share at the end. It was much cheerier than that.

The kitchen was in safe hands with ormsweird, the schedule was made up on the day (except for the 'court' and 'feast'), and noone had to make announcements asking for volunteers.

We took Friday to travel (London > Carlisle > Kilmarnock, which apparently is where Robert Burns first published a book of poetry, and the locals don't want anyone to forget it).

For all that countryside residents and farmers are poorer than those living in the cities in England, the views were rich: beautiful green fields, fat sheep and cattle and horses, even miniature ponies looking plump and prosperous. Looks like a good life, nibbling your way around a hill or valley, and it does get markedly hillier and steeper once you cross into Scotland.

Estevana picked us up from the station, and we wended our way down some very narrow tracks to Crawfurdland Castle. We had the run of the rentable part of the house, which is divided off from the family part.

Knowing I was going to a Scottish castle in October, I'd packed slippers and a wool cardigan, only to find that this castle actually has (retrofitted) double-glazing, and heaters that work - run on a log-fired boiler fed from their own forest lot, no less. Somebody values their comfort! I was impressed: fat duvets on the beds, and power showers too. We were toasty all weekend.

The kitchen was beautifully equipped - better than our own, with a huge range, loads of kitchen tools and supplies, and two dishwashers, which I confess I could get used to...or even just one. (Only drawback - no means to vent it, except with the overhead fan - the double-glazing sealed off the original windows entirely.)

The drawing room proved to be the social space - huge with big squishy sofas and chairs, big fireplace, and enough space even for dedicated sprawlers like ourselves.

Here, we found Catlin stitching her wedding gown eyelets on a Henrician gown out of the Tudor Tailor, in a beautiful sturdy cream silk with linen lining; I picked up the under sleeves to assemble and press. Pressing makes everything look better.

Estevana was also assembling a gown in blue and white, this one for her daughter E, who kept stealing it from her to play with. hobbitomm and ormsweird's girl E2 also had her Cranach gown finery, and were both made much of.

The next morning started with a great spread of English breakfast, and continued with more sewing and pressing, and gradually assembling into our Renaissance clothes.

Robert was modelling a doublet based on a Durer portrait - not my work or his, but a present from the lovely Ynes de Toledo, that fits remarkably well. I wore my early Henrician (which had been found by the moths since my last wearing, argh), so we made a passable 1500s couple.

So we witnessed nz_bookwyrm and Catlin's vows, legal ones and ones of their choosing, with sharikkamur and my sweetie providing some readings, and Gaita's recordings the processional music.

The afternoon was mostly taken up with more photos - photos at the Burns Memorial, where the wedding was, and back at Crawfurdland.

Seemed no time at all before we were sitting down to feast - great pies and pasties, hot salt beef with green sauce, a haggis, spinach and sweet potato, baked apples and custard tarts.

The evening was games, drinks, more games and crafts. I'd brought my knitting.

I discovered that when you make a mistake in a row that is 311 stitches long, and you have a choice between undoing that row, or fixing the mistake...you're strongly motivated to *avoid* undoing the row.

Sunday was another lazy breakfast, followed by a fencing practice for thems that fence, regrettably cut short by rain. However, I did manage to fight both the groom and hobbitomm, so it was worthwhile.

Unfortunately Robert suffered a bashed wrist during the slow work that wasn't as slow as it should have been, so he retired early. Honestly, he gets more injured in fencing than in armoured combat...

An unexpected pleasure: listening to hobbitomm and my sweetie reading Just so stories to E2, whose current favourite is The Elephant's Child.

A sign of my essential Luddite-ness: feeling weird walking into a room where every single other occupant is absorbed in an electronic device: phone, tablet, Kindle, whatever.

The morning paper, rather than being a great shield to hide behind, is a pad propped on the dining room table.

You'll be able to hunt up and view photos on other folks' FB pages; it was very well documented online! even as it took place.

Try nz_bookwyrm, hobbitomm ormsweird or sharikkamur's FBs.