A Castle, the Sea and a Sunset ...a Wedding Story!

Sara and Briggs celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary with a return to Maybole and Culzean - Sept 2009. See story below.

Two years ago, my fiancé and I decided that we wanted to elope to Scotland (we're Americans). We had both always wanted to go to Scotland and we also knew that somewhere back in our ancestry our families were from there. We streamlined our criteria to include being married in a castle, along the sea, and at sunset. That's a tall order, and I immediately began the internet search and ultimately found Culzean Castle...Perfect! We both agreed.

So, last September 25, 2004, eleven months after his proposal, Briggs and I were married by Reverend Arrick of Kirksowald Parish at Culzean Castle overlooking the sea. And just as we hoped it would be; it was perfect (the sun made a last minute appearance after raining all day, just in time for our outside ceremony). While having our pics taken in the castle, we noticed a framed portrait on the wall of William Cunningham, the 9th Earl of GlenCairn. Jokingly we asked Robert (our photographer) to take a pic of "Uncle Bill" for us. He did, and included it in our wedding pic disks.

Shortly after our return to the USA following our honeymoon in France, Briggs' Mom gave us a document which had been packed away among her things for years and she only discovered it because of a recent move. In any event, the document was their family history which had been researched for Briggs great-grandfather many many years ago. And it revealed that not only was Briggs family from that immediate area, but that William Cunningham, the 9th Earl of Glencairn, was in fact a direct ancestor! We were both floored. It was serendipity. Briggs and I will return to Maybole and Culzean Castle this year for our first wedding anniversary and will look forward to finding out more about our Scottish history! Sara & Briggs Cunningham, Washington DC USA

An update to the story. Sara and Briggs return to Maybole and Culzean in September of 2005

Briggs and I had a FABULOUS time in Scotland once again. The hospitality of the community of Maybole truly is unsurpassed. We stayed at Culzean, worshiped at Kirksowald Parish, and dined at our favorite pub (can't beat the steak pie!!) the Maybole Arms. It was so wonderful to retrace our ancestors footsteps, this time of course, knowingly. We are still so amazed that we 'fell into' Culzean and Maybole completely without prior information of our ancestry and found our family. Fate is amazing stuff. Our thanks to the community of Maybole for their kindness, hospitality, and amazing sense of humor! Sept 2005. ( Click on the photos to view full size)

Sara and Briggs celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary with a return to Maybole and Culzean in September 2009.
See text and photos below. Click on the photos to view full size.

Briggs and I had an absolutely amazing time in Scotland once again on our return in the Year of Homecoming - 2009, to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary. We dined twice at the Maybole Arms (i.e. best steak pies in the world!), visited Arrick & Nan at Kirkowald Parish and communed with the ancestors at Culzean Castle. We had such a fabulous time and are already making plans to return (with all of our children!) -- we want each of them to know and love this wonderful place as much as we do!!
Sara Cunningham - September 2009


Callum, his dog; Harley, and myself standing in front of his pub.	Briggs and I went back the following day to have a repeat of the steak pie!	Culzean castle grounds, standing in front of the (now broken) clock tower at the exact time that we had been married there 5 years ago.	Dinner at Turnberry later that evening.