PICTURES: MSP Kate Forbes marries Ali MacLennan in Dingwall
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Highland MSP and Finance Secretary Kate Forbes has tied the knot with her fiancé, local man Alasdair (Ali) MacLennan at a church service in the town.
Family and friends were present at the ceremony on Thursday which was live streamed on the internet due to restrictions on numbers attending the wedding.
The John O'Groat Journal's sister title, the Ross-shire Journal was granted exclusive access to the wedding celebration after the service at the Dingwall and Strathpeffer Free Church.
News of the couple's engagement first emerged at the end of January with a mysterious post on social media of the engagement ring but the groom’s name was withheld, sparking much speculation.
The next month the happy couple made a more public announcement after hundreds of people from across the political spectrum wished them well.
Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser even joked in Holyrood that it was good to see the leading SNP MSP “recognising the benefits of being in a union”.
It is not yet known if the MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch will retain her maiden name but she said: “We are delighted to get married, with some friends and family. Many watched online instead of joining us in person, because of Covid-19 restrictions.
“After a difficult 18 months for everybody, our wedding day has been full of joy. We hope other couples enjoy the same happy day, even with all the worries and frustrations of planning a wedding around restrictions.”
Related story – Dingwall-based Highland MSP Kate Forbes announces engagement on social media