JULY 2005 – Ye Olde Toll Bar is the first or last house in Gretna Green, directly at the English-Scottish border, depending on where travelers come from. © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com
The story behind the image
When you approach Scotland at the west coast, coming from England, this is the first house right after the Scottish border in Gretna Green. While there is nothing so stunning about it today, for many decades it used to be the last hope for countless lovers! That’s because since 1753 the couple needed the approval of their parents to get married. Without a written confirmation they were not allowed to marry – in England! Not so in Scotland. Here, getting married was easy – you just had to be at least 16 years old and bring two witnesses (and if the couple did not have these, there were plenty of folks willing to witness the act.) In fact, it was so easy getting married that soon a real wedding industry was serving the needs of the young lovers. that were arriving not just from England but also from the rest of Europe.
Gretna Green could preserve this popularity into the present. Even today, several thousand marriages are performed in this town every year.
Back in 2005, the house contained a souvenir shop. Today it is home to a good restaurant. The signage has a modern look now but still carries the key messages ‘First House in Scotland’ and ‘Last House in Scotland’. While I understand the desire for this look I still prefer the 2005 appearance.
The high resolution image
| Capture Date | 10-JUL-2005 |
| Location | Gretna Green, Scotland |
| Camera | Canon AE-1 Program |
| Image Source | Fuji Slide Film |
| Digital Image Source | EPSON Perfection 4870 Photo |
| Digital Image Source Format | TIFF, 48 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Dimensions | 6501 x 4257 Pixels |
| Copyright | © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com |
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