Gretna Green, the Scottish border town famed for runaway weddings in both literature and real life, is aiming to transform from the UK’s marriage capital into an immersive visitor destination with tradition at its heart.
Generations of couples have eloped to its blacksmith’s shop to get married over an anvil since 1754, following an Act of Parliament – Lord Hardwicke’s Marriage Act – which ruled that consent to a marriage had to be given by parents if both parties were under 21 years old. However, this Act did not apply in Scotland, which allowed boys to marry at 14 and girls at 12, with or without parental consent.
As a result, many elopers fled England, and the first Scottish village they reached was often Gretna. The town was central to the story in Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice and has also appeared in films and TV shows, including Coronation Street and Downton Abbey, even though the Act was repealed in 1849.
Today it facilitates nearly 4,000 ceremonies a year, and was named one of the top three destinations globally for couples seeking to elope.
Five generations of the Houston Family have run Gretna since 1885, and, now, under the leadership of executive chair John Holliday, the town is aiming to transform into an experiential village, appealing to a broad range of visitors.
As part of an £8m investment, Holliday has worked with creative studio Squad to develop a future vision for Gretna, providing visitors from around the world with a place to eat, drink, stay and explore, as well as marry.
To drive the strategy home, Squad has repositioned Gretna with a new narrative: “the little village on the Scottish border with a big story of love and escape to share with the world.”
According to the official line, “the visual identity, also by Squad, is underpinned by the pillars of passionate love, fiery craft and Scottish hospitality embedded in four centuries of rebellious romantic history, and delivered with a contemporary spin”.
The redevelopment is already underway with the recent reopening of the Runaways café. The first phase is due for completion in spring 2026, including new and expanded facilities with a working blacksmith’s shop, complete with its own forge, celebrating the horseshoes handed to happy couples down the years.
Gretna chief operating officer Olly Rolfe said: “It’s an incredible moment for Gretna Green, as we reimagine four centuries of history into a 21st century visitor attraction. Working with Squad has been integral to our business transformation as we embed a new vision and brand at the heart of the redevelopment.”
Squad strategy partner Rob Gray added: “Gretna Green is full of rich, human stories just waiting to be told, it’s a dream business to work with, because everywhere you look there’s gold dust. We don’t need to make Gretna part of culture, because it already is.”
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