Gretna Green

After writing my previous blog early this morning, I have now travelled by bus from Niagara Falls to Toronto, arriving at 2 pm. I have now discovered that my 3-day train trip to Jasper has been delayed and we will not leave until 1.00 am tomorrow morning! I only hope I will not miss the Rocky Mountaineer because of this! 

I cannot do anything about that, so what to do in all those 11 hours of waiting for my train? I cannot explore Toronto because even though I have checked in my suitcase and had my overnight bag temporarily stored, I still have my heavy backpack. Since that contains my computer and all my travel documents, I am not letting it out of my sight! The Toronto station is undergoing extensive renovations, so all you can get here is a drink and a muffin at a little stand. Unlike all the big stations in Europe and the UK, there are no shops in the station. But at least they have a business lounge for first class travellers, so I am now going to catch up on some of my blogs! As they say, every cloud has a silver lining! (The station WiFi is very slow, so I have discovered. But I will do as much as I can.) 

So back to Scotland!

Our last stop in Scotland was Gretna Green. What a pity I did not have a special lover with me!  Darn!  Oh well, the drive there was really picturesque and the village was just delightful. They really make the most of the tourist trade. And marriages are still held there, some even at the blacksmith’s where so many hasty weddings took place in the past. The blacksmith’s is now a very interesting museum, with lots of tales of famous elopements, forced returns, and so on, as well as old wedding dresses and carriages, all on display. 

Why was Gretna Green so popular with lovers? It was the first town across the Scottish border at a time when Scottish regulations about the age of consent were far less strict than those of England. If I recall correctly, in Scotland a girl could marry at the age of 12 and a boy at the age of 14, without their parents’ consent. I think that has now been raised to 16 for a girl and 18 for a boy.

Anyhow, I really liked this village. It had such a happy, romantic atmosphere and was doing a roaring trade in souvenirs, ice creams, chocolates, and so forth. No wonder people were arriving by the busload when we were there.  

Part of the little village square.

Young love! 

This and the next images were taken in the blacksmith's.

Some wily advice! 

The bed provided in the blacksmith's in case young couples decided to follow the advice.

The anvil over which many young and not so young couples took their vows. 

Also in the wedding room - the blacksmith's bellows and tools.

Alternatively, couples could take their vows in the saddle room.

I loved this! It was on display in the souvenir shop attached to the blacksmith's. I bet many couples can relate to it! I would have bought it as a souvenir if I could have carried around the mugs.