Isle of Skye Elopement Itinerary at Fairy Glen

Planning notes on permits, celebrants and wet-weather back-ups live in my full Isle of Skye Elopement Guide. The timeline below is a real-day field report that shows how two people used light, travel gaps and a bit of local know-how to keep their schedule relaxed and their locations crowd-free.

Crafting Fairy Glen ceremony itinerary

1. First look at Portree Harbour

Kate slipped into a silk-lined Dreamers and Lovers gown at a B&B overlooking Somerled Square, while Phil buttoned a charcoal jacket from Grooms Grotto across the road.

They spent the night in different B&Bs so they could still have a “first look.” We met on the quiet side of the harbour while fishing crews checked nets and the waterfront houses were still switching on kitchen lights. Phil waited on the slipway; Kate walked down the ramp, coat collar up against the sea breeze, and tapped him on the shoulder. Five unhurried minutes later they were in the car heading north towards Trotternish Peninsula!

2. Ceremony in the Fairy Glen

The florist tucked fresh gorse and tiny fern curls into Kate’s bouquet while the celebrant set up on the flattest mound.. The ceremony area might look private in photos, but tour buses start arriving mid-morning. An early ceremony is the safest way to keep curious eyes out of your private vows.

Kate and Phil chose the fairy circles for a short reading and a hand-fasting with green and blue cords. They signed their schedule on the bonnet of the celebrant’s car – no extra table required.

Parking reminder: the single ticket machine is easy to forget in the excitement. I’ve come back more than once to find a yellow envelope behind the wipers; pay and display as soon as you park!

Because the Glen is compact, photographs happen close to the main path. If you want those vast Skye landscapes without an audience, plan an extra stop at the Quiraing after the ceremony. Up there the hills swallow visitors; at the Fairy Glen you’re almost always on display once the day gets going.

3 Urquhart Castle Drive-Up Finale

Once rings were safely on fingers and the Fairy Glen crowds began to build, we turned the car north for Loch Ness. The 90-minute drive to Urquhart Castle gave Kate and Phil time to swap trail boots for dress shoes and re-pin a few hair grips. Parking at the visitor centre is straightforward—card machine, no coins required—and a short path drops you onto the ruins with an uninterrupted view across the loch.

Storm-layered clouds added drama without delivering rain, and the broken stone arches framed the couple like ready-made windows. Phil’s charcoal jacket picked up the dark granite tones, while Heather’s bouquet from Heavenly Blooms added the only hit of colour against green water and grey sky. Final frames were silhouettes on the battlements just as the loch calmed enough to mirror the hillside—an easy way to finish the day without another hike.

Drive-time recap – Portree ➜ Fairy Glen 30 min · Fairy Glen ➜ Urquhart Castle 1 hr 30. Leave extra buffer for single-track delays and coffee stops at roadside lay-bys.

Kait and Phil – the love story on Isle of Skye

How did you meet?

We met working at Disneyland. 

Why did you choose Scotland for your elopement?

Kait: It kind of started as a joke. In 2016 my best friend Bri (who ended up officiating the ceremony!) and I traveled to the UK and I joked that someday I’d elope there. When we got engaged, we knew a typical wedding wasn’t going to work for us. The timing, logistics and stress of it all didn’t make sense for our story. I kept joking that we could always elope in Scotland and Phil being the most supportive, easy-going, up-for-anything partner I could hope for finally responded “why not?” and the plan was in motion.

Was it the right choice?

Kait: Absolutely. We couldn’t have asked for a better setting, adventure, or people to start this chapter with (our vendors and photographers especially!) 

Phil: Yes it was. It was the most beautiful setting to marry my best friend. 

How did you feel when you fell in love?

Kait: I felt so happy, anxious and at peace all at once. Falling in love with Phil was effortless. It’s like I’d loved him all along. 

Phil: Like I had finally found my true best friend. Someone who understood me and cared for the real me. I didn’t feel like I had to be anyone but myself with her and that she accepted that person. 

What do you love about each other?

Kait: I love Phil’s demeanor. He always has this sense of calm about him. He grounds me. I love his laugh. I work so hard to earn it because it’s my favorite. I love the person I am when I’m with him. I get to be my most vulnerable, authentic self while working on being a better, stronger person. I love the patience he shows me. 

Phil: Her sense of humour, strength, compassion and willingness to be there for everyone. Kait can do anything. She is a superwoman who can’t be shut off. And who would want to? She is the most inspiring person I know and I can’t imagine not living in awe of her every day.

What does love mean to you? 

Kait: Love means choosing one another again and again. Love is compassion, respect, optimism and hope. 

Phil: Love is taking care of each other. It’s finding “home” in that other person – that no matter where I am with her, it feels right. It’s falling head over heels for them every day, more and more.

Why the day felt smooth

Two pairs of comfy boots, one flask of coffee: small kit solved comfort, warmth and styling in one go.

The couple didn’t even need any smart layers under that Dreamers and Lovers dress and the Grooms Grotto – the warmth of that spring day had us without goosebumps.

Eilidh Matheson’s make-up held through sea spray and drizzle later in the day – no mid-shoot touch-ups needed.