A loved-up man used a Glasgow flight to a Scottish island for a romantic beach proposal.

Fitness instructor Stephen made the journey to Barra with his partner, cafe owner Bridget, 42, as a special present for his 50th birthday.

Little did Bridget know, Stephen had a whole other surprise up his sleeve - and he enlisted the help of the Loganair and Barra Airport staff to pull it off.

Glasgow Times:

He used the airport's beach runway to pop the question, and as the couple flew towards the island, Bridget read the words 'Bridget will you marry me' in huge letters on the sand.

While stunned by the gesture, Bridget said yes - to the delight of the staff and of course Stephen.  

Glasgow Times:

Speaking about the proposal, Stephen, from Torrance, said: “When I first had the idea of a beach proposal, I didn’t think it would be possible but after reaching out to the Loganair and Barra Airport team, they were so accommodating.

"Ultimately, we were relying on mother nature as a high tide could easily wash away the writing in the sand.

"I was seriously stressed, but literally just before take-off, I got confirmation the message was in place, pilots were briefed, and it was all systems go.

"From then, it couldn’t have gone any better. Bridget got the surprise of her life looking out the window, so much so she nearly forgot to say ‘yes’.

"Thankfully she did, and everyone cheered then when we landed, I was able to go down on one knee and complete the proposal.

“It really was a special moment and beyond anything we could have hoped for.

"I can’t thank Loganair, their staff, the pilots and everyone at Barra Airport enough for all working together to make this happen. It’s something we will both never forget.”

Glasgow Times:

The couple first met at a fitness class in Bishopbriggs in 2020 and have a shared love of travel.

They were excited to visit Barra and land on the world's only beach runway in a bucket list moment. 

Loganair captain Daniel Tye said: “It's always special to land at Barra, but it was extra special to overfly the beach so that Bridget could see the proposal written in the sand.

"I was able to see the happy couple from the cockpit and it was wonderful to see her reaction as she saw the message.

"It’s a joy to operate on this route and was a privilege to play a small part in their special day."

Glasgow Times:

Barra Airport’s fire service watch manager, Hector MacPhee, added: “The team at the airport were delighted to assist Stephen in asking this very special question.

“We arranged the message in the sand and kept in touch with Loganair’s team throughout the morning, helping to facilitate a fly over the beach so the message could be seen clearly.”