Arrival of New Year's Day baby for Wick couple

New Year was excitedly welcomed in for one Wick couple with the special arrival of their first baby.

Riley Gunn, weighing 8lb 3ozs, was due on December 23, but he decided to keep his mum, Caitlyn Sutherland, and dad, Greg Gunn, waiting until January 1.

The couple who live in the town's Henrietta Street were settling down to watch a movie on Hogmanay when things started to happen around 10pm. They quickly got themselves organised and Greg, a manager with the Wick Tesco store, drove down to Inverness in foggy conditions, arriving at Raigmore about half past midnight with Riley making his arrival around 10.15am.

It was all a complete surprise as Caitlyn had been scheduled to be induced on January 4, unless she went into labour naturally before then. "He decided New Year's Day was the one, little rascal," she said. "It turns out we are coming home a day before we should be going down."

The couple did not know whether they were going to have a boy or a girl so it was indeed a surprise all round.

After two days in hospital they were allowed to travel back up the road this afternoon (Monday), encountering some snow showers on the way, but Riley was very content, sound asleep in his car seat.

Caitlyn (23), who runs her own beauty business, said: "I'm so delighted with him and can't wait to get home." Dad Greg was also extremely delighted and keen to get his family safely home.

The new mum added: "Raigmore was amazing, I could not fault them at all, they were really, really good."

Riley is the first grandchild for Greg's mum and dad, Evelyn and William Gunn, and the third for Caitlyn's mum and her husband, Helen and Ian Tolmie.

Since the couple announced the birth on Facebook on Saturday the post has received over 600 likes and 335 comments.

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