Blackening wedding tradition causes a clean-up headache

Hen and stag dos are known for getting out of hand, but it’s not often you expect to be kidnapped, bound and covered in gunk.

The pre-wedding tradition in northern Scotland, called a Blackening, is known for taking disgusting behaviour to another level.

Friends and family seize the engaged couple and gunk them with anything from rotten eggs and fish guts to manure and molasses.

Orkney Islands Council has now issued a warning to stags and hens leaving public toilets in a mess after the blackenings.

The local authority says it is creating extra work for cleaners, and inconveniencing residents and tourists who need to use them.

However, Orkney council says it remains supportive of the tradition, with wedding groups celebrating in its largest town, Kirkwall, most weekends in summer.

The tradition originally began as a cleansing ritual among the farming communities of rural Scotland to prepare women for marriage.

It involved washing feet after blackening them with soot from the chimney.

Ellie Ordish, who lives near Dingwall, says she hopes the tradition continues for years to come.

Ellie and Gavin started the day clean and in good spirits

Ellie and her partner Gavin Smith marked their upcoming nuptials in June by standing in an old bathtub in a field while their friends tipped manure, eggs and molasses over their heads.

Originally from Lincolnshire, Ellie had never heard of a blackening until she moved north in 2023.

But the pair were lured in with an invite to Gavin’s family home for his sister’s birthday dinner, which turned out to be a surprise blackening.

“They asked us to gather round for a birthday picture," she said.

“I thought it was a bit weird that we were in the middle of the group on Chloe’s birthday and they told us to say 'happy birthday' after the count of three.

“But after three, they all shouted ‘happy blackening’ and grabbed us both.”

The couple were separated and given clothes to change into before being bound with cable ties.

Then they were taken to a field belonging to one of Gavin’s groomsmen and told to stand in a muddy bathtub spray-painted with the words ‘Gav + Ellie’.

Gavin ditched the protective gear for the blackening

With just one drink each to take the edge off, a crowd of their friends started throwing food at them.

“We were covered in all sorts of things, I highly suspect blood since they’re farmers,” said Ellie.

“But the worst part - amongst all the flour, eggs, food and manure - was the molasses.

“It stinks. I still get whiffs of it and I can’t work out if it’s in my mind or not.”

After the ordeal, the pair were hosed down and taken home dressed in bin bags, before being allowed to shower and taken to the pub.

“It was hilarious and I had a brilliant time,” she added.

“My skin was weirdly glowing for days afterwards so maybe there’s some kind of skin treatment in there.

“It’s something I’ll never forget - embedded in my mind along with the smell of molasses.”

Ashley Gormley marked her engagement with a whitening

Ashley Gormley, from Greenock, moved to Shapinsay in Orkney three years ago with her partner Craig.

The pair got engaged and the locals started mentioning the possibility of a whitening - Shapinsay’s version of a blackening.

The 33-year-old was certain they wouldn’t get her as her wedding in July 2023 approached.

But two weeks before the big day, she spotted a crowd of her friends running towards her when she got off the boat after work.

“They grabbed me and gave me a hairnet and gown,” she said. “Then they dragged me to the beach and started throwing flour, porridge and eggs at me.

“Afterwards someone came with a trailer and we drove about the island hitting pans and making noise.

“Then we got to the school and they had put up a tent and called it AshleyFest.”

She said it was a total surprise but “great fun”, with people from across the island coming down to join in.

“From now on in Kirkwall, every weekend you’ll see a group of boys or girls going about in the back of a truck making loads of noise and confusing the tourists,” she said.

“It’s a really good time but it still seems a bit surreal.”

Orkney Island Council said it is "all part and parcel of getting married in the county".

It said in a statement: "We don’t want to be the party poopers, but the public toilets are being left in an awful mess as a result of the blackening clear-ups.

"It creates additional work for our cleaners, not to mention inconveniencing local folk and tourists who need to use them."