Alex and I are now engaged!

This weekend Alex and I got engaged.
On Saturday 4 November, we had been together for 2 million minutes. So I whisked Alex off for a mystery trip to the north east of Scotland.
We visited Lunan Bay, our favourite beach, situated between Arbroath and Montrose. We always came here when we first started going out when we both lived in Dundee. So it seemed like the perfect place to ask, and we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful morning.
The ring was made by Scarlett Erskine. I really appreciated her wise advice when we were exploring different options for the ring. We are both delighted with it. 💍
After that, we made our way to the Barley Bothy, a glamping facility in a remote part of Aberdeenshire near Huntly. The two holiday lets there have been featured on George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces and Shed of the Year. Alex is an architect and she loves a shed, so where better to take her?
The Barley Bothy is very cleverly designed, with ample storage and an immersion heater placed underneath two box beds to maximise the space. There were only two of us, but four could stay here very comfortably.
Velux windows in the box beds were another fantastic touch, allowing us to easily take advantage of the rural location for a spot of stargazing in bed.
With a bit of effort working with the wood burning stove, it was easy to get the place very warm. We were surprised to emerge on Monday morning to find ice outside, when inside was at times too hot for us.
We might go back one day and visit the shed!
The bothy is situated close to the whisky trail, with lots of famous distilleries nearby. So on Sunday, we decided to visit Glenfiddich distillery, who were able to book us on to a tour at very short notice.
The distillery is well set up for visitors. We’ve been on a few brewery tours before, but have never visited a distillery. So it was good fun and interesting to learn more about how whisky is made.
Monday was our last day away. But on the advice of a waitress at the Glenfiddich coffee shop, we decided to visit Roseisle near Findhorn first, to take in another beach — and a different route back home.
Roseisle is a forest and beach looked after by the Forestry Commission. It reminded us a lot of Tentsmuir in Fife, another favourite location of ours.
We both love a bit of concrete, so the wartime coastal defences were up our street.
It was a brilliant long weekend in the wilderness with Alex. I’m so excited for our future! 🐌🐢
I lead teams and organisations to make human-centred decisions. I am a lead content designer and information architect at the Scottish Government.
Email — contact@duncanstephen.net
Congratulations to you both, all the best for what lies ahead!
great.
music for the bothy from following
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_3_10?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=bothy+band&sprefix=bothy+band%2Caps%2C135&crid=3QK2LXBUCWJNW
keep well, david
What a great way to tell people about your wonderful weekend, and, it seems beautifully planned, start to a new stage in your lives.
Loved the photos and commentary.
I wish you both long and great happiness together.
xx
Elf
I love this! Great news, great photos, great commentary!! All the best for the future, Meiling xx
Thank you everyone! 🙂
Wonderful news.
When we saw you both in Edinburgh the other weekend, Martin and I thought you were very so well suited. Great storyline and photographs of the eventful weekend.
Congratulations and best wishes for the future.
Martin and Diane
Xxxxxxx
Thank you Duncan for a lovely blog. 2 million minutes – cue for a song!
All love to you both
Ktxx
So lovely of you to share your very special weekend
CONGRATULATIONS and very good wishes for your future together
great news
we look forward to seeing you in London soon!
karen and mark x
Congratulations from us too.
What a lovely record of what was clearly a wonderful weekend.
We look forward to seeing you here some time soon if it fits with your plans.
Best wishes
Congratulations to you both! Nice to hear about how the occasion and the holiday seemed to fit nicely with key themes and moments from your relationship.
[…] more mathematically astute reader will have realised that, since I proposed to Alex on 4 November 2017 to mark us being together for 2 million minutes, that means today we have been together for 2,000 days. What better time to look back on our […]