A wedding present to Ben Lawers

Newlyweds Diana and Malcolm Gourlay are keen hikers, and were saddened to see newly planted trees damaged and litter left by campers on a walk in Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve. It was just then that they had a chance meeting with Helen Cole, Property Manager and Senior Ranger. Helen spoke with them about the work the Trust does to restore the habitats of Ben Lawers. This meeting with Helen made Diana and Malcolm rethink their wedding plans – and they decided to ask guests for donations to protect and restore nature on Ben Lawers.

Bride, Diana Gourlay, said: ‘It warmed our hearts to hear about the hard work that the National Trust for Scotland puts into restoring and caring for a place we truly love. We decided there and then to ask for donations instead of wedding presents. In total our loved ones have helped us to raise £1,300 for Ben Lawers.’

Their wedding, like many couples’, had to be delayed due to the pandemic. They rescheduled to this summer, with an intimate ceremony at Inveraray Castle. Now they’ve returned from their honeymoon and are back to hillwalking through Ben Lawers. Groom, Malcolm Gourlay, said: ‘We love this place. In June we did an epic 18-hour walk through Ben Lawers and the nature reserve. We’re so pleased our friends and family have helped us to care for and protect this place that’s so important to us.’