I HAVE wanted to get married in a castle for as long as I can remember. And you can probably trace it back to the bedtime stories Mum would read to me about princesses, Prince Charmings, and living happily ever.

Growing up in Scotland, there were plenty of castles to choose from. But only one castle would do for my wedding - and that was Edinburgh Castle, the remarkable fortress and former royal residence.

My dream came true when I got married there on Nov 5 last year.

Edinburgh Castle, which draws about one million visitors annually, has a few venues available for wedding ceremonies - one of which is the 12th-century St Margaret's Chapel, the oldest building in the castle.

James and I chose to stay in the Witchery on the Royal Mile (www.thewitchery.com), which is a few minutes' walk away from Edinburgh Castle's drawbridge, and the entrance to the gatehouse and our wedding venue. We also had 36 guests from all parts of the United Kingdom, who gladly stayed the weekend before the wedding day.

The night before, we gathered everyone for a ghost walk. We chose the walking tour called Adam Lyal's Witchery Tales (www.witcherytours.com) only because it sounded funny. Our guide was a 'deceased' highway robber, and his sidekick told all about the deadly goings-on from Edinburgh's past - from witchcraft, hangings, body snatchers to plagues. Were we scared? You bet not.

That aside, going back to the Witchery's Inner Sanctum suite (below right) was another perfect moment in our Edinburgh wedding weekend. The opulence of the furnishings was exactly how I used to picture my castle home as a little girl.

Even with the surroundings and the sound of feet on the cobbled street outside, I could not sleep. There was no pea beneath the mattress, just my prince snoring beside me.

The big day

Our wedding morning started with a sumptuous breakfast delivered to our room - the last moment of calm before the day carried us along in a whirlwind of hair appointments, delivery of flowers, arrival of the photographer, appearance of friends, and the actual part of getting ready.

All too soon it was just Dad and me in the room, waiting for the car to arrive to take us to the castle. I was incredibly nervous. And the quickest car journey in the world did not abate my nerves. The spiral staircase up to the gatehouse also did not help because I nearly tripped over my gown on every step. As the piper puffed up the bagpipes for the big entrance, I was shaking.

The ceremony was short and beautiful; the readings by our friends were touching; and the venue, awesomely majestic. It was cold outside, so we had mulled wine served after the service, while we posed and smiled for the photographer.

We walked back to the Witchery for the wedding dinner, but not before every guest were given a sparkler to light the way down the esplanade.

A friend told me that the day would be a blur, and how true this is.

Now, back to the perpetual warmth of Singapore, we both conclude that we could not have wished for a more perfect wedding or perfect wedding location. Edinburgh is the kind of place that if you were not already in love, you will be; if not with a special someone, then certainly with the place.

Elaine Young is a journalist with The Straits Times.

Note: This article was part of the Natas Travel 2006 Special published in The Straits Times on March 23, 2006. As a reference to the project's main lead, 'Travel is a numbers game', it's original headline in print was: '1,650 was the year when the headless drummer ghost was first sighted at Edinburgh Castle'.