FLY DO; Laird's mercy flight saves isle wedding.

Byline: Moira Kerr

A FLYING laird saved an Edinburgh couple's dream island wedding.

Heather Macniven, 30, and Oly McCollum, 31, were due to be married on Colonsay.

But after all the guests had arrived on the ferry from Oban the night before the service it was discovered the food for the reception had been left behind.

The next ferry was not due for two days.

Then Alex Howard, son of the 4th Lord Strathcona, came to the rescue.

He flew his own Cessna six-seater over to the mainland to pick up the food on the morning of the wedding.

Alex, 48, said: "I don't know what happened with the courier's food delivery.

"But we brought back all the fresh veg and fresh meat for the hotel and the shop.

"It wasn't just the wedding that was affected but clearly it was of paramount importance.

"The rest of us could have survived until the next delivery on Sunday afternoon." The couple had invited 45 guests for last Saturday's wedding at The Colonsay hotel.

Receptionist Arlene Campbell said: "It was about 8.30pm on Friday.

"We had all gathered round the delivery van when Fiona Culinane, the chef, said "Where is my stuff for the wedding?" "She went in a wee bit of a panic. Thank God for Alex and his plane."

It was only after the couple were married and had sat down with their guests to salmon, roast leg of lamb, cranachan and canapes that the mercy flight was revealed.

Staff hadn't wanted to worry the couple.

Father of the bride Duncan Macniven, of East Kilbride, said he couldn't thank the laird enough

He said: "It could have gone badly wrong, we could have been eating crisps and drinking Irn-Bru. The sun even shone for the service!"

Alex said: "It was windy coming back but everybody got fed on time. I am a coowner of the hotel so I have an interest in making sure it all works."

The newly-weds, from Meadowbank, Edinburgh, are now honeymooning in the Hebrides.

CAPTION(S):

FLIGHT RELIEF: Heather and Oly's wedding, left, was saved by a plane