Couple toast Valentine's Day with snowy picnic

Kirsty Colquhoun and Vicky Craig, of Downie Place, decided that, as Covid meant they could not have their usual trip away to mark the occasion, they would have a picnic on the banks of the River Esk.

A table just along from a waterfall on the Esk was the perfect spot to toast Valentine’s Day with strawberry hot chocolate, which kept them warm in the snowy conditions.

Kirsty Colquhoun and fiancee Vicky Craig

Also on the menu were chocolate brownies, chocolate-covered strawberries and traybake, as well as tiger bread, cheese, salami and pears.

Kirsty said: “I knew it would be cold so we brought coats, scarves and gloves, and I made a flask of hot chocolate to keep us warm.

“We were there for just over an hour and we actually saw a family of deer at the other side of the water, which was incredibly romantic.

“Lots of folks who passed us chatted away and were cheering us on, which was also really heart-warming.

"After we had finished, we left red roses in bushes along our walk back to add some Valentine’s cheer to other folks’ days.”

Kirsty Colquhoun with red roses to celebrate Valentine's Day

She added: “Lockdown has been hard on us both in different ways and we usually go away to a hotel or B&B for Valentine’s Day.

"Since we couldn’t do that, I wanted to add some whimsy and fun into our celebrations so thought a picnic in the snow would be a cute date idea.”

Kirsty, 29, an educational psychologist, has lived at her home in Musselburgh since 2017, and Vicky, 34, a tattoo artist, moved there in January last year.

The couple are looking forward to getting married in October.