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Gretna Green

This small village, just across the border from England, is the “romance” capital of Britain. In the 18th century it was the first stopping place in Scotland for coaches travelling north, so was the ideal place for English runaways to get married.

In 1754 irregular marriages in England were made illegal and the legal age at which people could get married without parental consent was set at 21. However, in Scotland matrimonial law merely required a declaration by the couple in front of any two witnesses. This relaxed attitude attracted many English runaway couples and since Gretna Green was the first village across the border, and the blacksmith’s shop the closest dwelling to the coach stop, it was here that most of them “solemnised” their marriages in front of the anvil. The Anvil Priests, as they became known, charged anything from a dram of whisky to a guinea to conduct what was a perfectly legal ceremony. By 1856, the number of weddings had dropped, due to what was called the “Lord Brougham Act”, which required that at least one of the parties to the marriage had to have been resident in Scotland for the previous 21 days. This act was only repealed in 1979.

However, couples still come from all over the world to get married before the anvil in Gretna Green, though the ceremony is no more than a confirmation of vows taken earlier in the registry office. The Old Blacksmith’s Shop is still open and houses an exhibition on the irregular marriage trade.

Gretna Green was within the Debatable Lands, a stretch of land which, as its name implies, was claimed by both Scotland and England. It was therefore a lawless area in the 15th and 16th centuries, as no country’s laws were recognised, and no one could adequately police it.

About a mile to the southwest is the Lochmaben Stone, a huge rock where representatives from the two countries met to air grievances and seek justice. It is also sometimes known as the “Clochmaben” Stone, Maben being a shadowy figure associated with King Arthur.

In the nearby village of Gretna is the Gretna Gateway Outlet Village, a complex of shops selling designer label fashions.