It all stacked up when Welsh tourist said 'I do' at Duncansby at sunrise – Marriage proposal at Duncansby Stacks sealed with a band of Welsh gold
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A Welsh farming couple made the most of their holiday visit to Caithness with a proposal of marriage taking place at one of the county's most breathtaking locations on Tuesday morning.
Harri Lloyd and Nia Davies, who have been together for eight years, were on a campervan tour of the North Coast 500 and decided to bypass Wick, heading straight to John O'Groats.
"We stayed at a camping site in John O'Groats and thought we'd watch the sun come up at Duncansby Head so we walked to the lighthouse and then to the stacks – that's when Harri asked me," Nia told the paper.
Back home in Pontrhydfendigaid, Harri is a dairy, beef and sheep farmer and Nia, originally from Tregaron, is a lecturer in agriculture for Aberystwyth University. Harri had previously been for a visit to Caithness with his family back in 2011 and visited his aunt Claire Conway who worked with Highlands and Islands Enterprise at that time. This was Nia's first trip to Scotland, however.
The marriage proposal was quickly accepted by Nia who now proudly sports a ring fittingly made from Welsh gold. "My ring is from Rhiannon’s Gold Centre in Tregaron – where I come from. When I opened the box and saw the name I was quite surprised and obviously very happy. It’s Welsh gold with a diamond set in four double claws."
She said that Harri had worked with the designers at Rhiannon’s to select the gold and diamond and make sure it was strong enough for when Nia works outside at the farm.
"Harri says he felt nervous before asking, especially walking over to the stacks as he wanted to pick the right spot. But once he asked, and I obviously said yes, we were both full of happiness and I think he felt relieved."
Like a busman's holiday, the couple came across some local sheep grazing at the site who shared their magical moment. Harri had seen Duncansby Stacks before and knew it would be a spectacular setting for the marriage proposal. "I had no idea they [the stacks] would be there. The structure of the land and coast is remarkable. It's very rural and rugged and quite a dramatic sight," added Nia.
