Gretna Green, the Scottish elopement town with a unique charm

—————2024.12 UK Christmas free travel notes—————— We drove from Edinburgh to Windermere Lake District and passed through the town of Gretna Green, known as the elopement town. It is located on the border between Scotland and England, and its name comes from a legal difference in the UK in the 18th century. At that time, the legal age of marriage in England and Wales was 21, and marriages under this age or without parental consent were considered illegal. In Scotland, however, couples aged 16 and over could marry freely without parental consent. This legal difference led many English couples who were in love but not recognized by their families to elope to Gretna Green in Scotland to get married, making it a paradise for elopers. The town is quiet and peaceful, with many love-themed sculptures, and the love locks at the entrance of the town are worth commemorating.