A couple who were spotted in wedding attire on the Unreachable at Skye’s Cuillin Ridge have revealed the details of their ascent.
Mark and Victoria Lyons (née Forbes) became a social media sensation last week after a hiker, Monica Bloch, posted a photo on Facebook of the bride in a gorgeous white wedding dress at the base of the infamous twisting In Pinn climb.
The couple’s route to the wedding on Skye
The newlyweds, who met in 2010, revealed that they had returned to a place with special memories to celebrate the celebration of their marriage.
Mark, who has been a keen climber since the 1990s, said: ‘We met when I trained Victoria for her first marathon in 2010. We got engaged in March while on a trip to the Atlas Mountains and decided to get married on Skye this month.
“Since Victoria and I climbed In Pinn together in 2018, it has always been a special place. After getting married in Glen Brittle, just below Cuillin, we revisited In Pinn the next day in our wedding dress.
“Our amazing wedding photographer becy more stable he came with us so we could have photos along with our wedding day photos.”
The couple, from Scottish Borders, decided to elope. Mark said: “It was an intimate wedding and just the two of us. Glen Brittle Beach is such a spiritual place, nestled between the Cuillin Mountains and the Sea of the Hebrides.
“We felt anchored by the elements in a beautiful ceremony for two people who recently felt the importance and sacredness of a marriage bond.
“The day was marked by beautiful weather conditions of sun, haze and a light breeze, which helped keep the mosquitoes at bay.”
In Pinn Bridal Walk
Victoria and Mike hiked and climbed for over two hours on Sgurr Dearg Mountain, where the Inaccessible Pinnacle sits at over 3,000 feet. They were carrying climbing equipment, ropes, Victoria’s wedding dress, and Mark’s suit.
Mark said: “The climb up the mountain was spectacular. The mountain held us up and gave us an amazing show all the way to the top.
“At the Inaccessible Pinnacle, there were a handful of fellow climbers, one of whom took the photo that sparked all the interest.
« The love and all the congratulations that came with this are beautiful and we thank everyone for their best wishes. »
The newlyweds climbed the In Pinn, which forms a large rocky spur, in the traditional way and then rappelled down together.
Mark said: “The wedding dress and suit held up well until we took an impromptu dip in the lake at Coire Lagan on the way out.
“The climb would never have happened if we weren’t perfectly happy to be able to do it safely in the conditions and with our use of the necessary safety equipment. We will go up to the In Pinn again but we will never repeat it in disguise.”
After leaving Skye, the couple flew to their honeymoon destination in Portugal, where they are now touring in a motorhome.
- Mark and Victoria would like to thank their photographer Becy, wedding day hair and makeup by Zoe Corrigall and interfaith minister Kim Atherton.
You may like to read: On our wedding day skiing in the Canadian Rockies.
