On Saturday 15 May 2021, a small Loganair plane from Glasgow banked over the Isle of Barra in Scotland's Outer Hebrides and lined up for one of the strangest landings in commercial aviation: a touchdown on the sand of a tidal beach. Waiting on that beach, written large enough to read from the cabin window, was a question: "Anna, will you marry me?" Passenger Anna Pond, 25, looked down, turned to her boyfriend Jamie Forde, 26, and said yes.
The proposal was a joint effort. Jamie had asked the airline and the airport for help weeks in advance, and staff from Barra Airport and Loganair prepared the message on the runway beach so it would be visible on the final approach. Here is how it came together, why Barra was the perfect place for it, and what anyone dreaming up a similar surprise should keep in mind.
What happened on the flight to Barra
The couple, who live in Crofton near Wakefield in West Yorkshire, had travelled north for a short break in the Western Isles. According to their local paper, the Hemsworth and South Elmsall Express, they had been together for two and a half years and had recently bought a house together. Jamie works as a service engineer and is a keen aviation enthusiast; landing on Barra's beach had long been on his personal bucket list.
As the Twin Otter descended towards Traigh Mhòr, the wide cockle-shell bay that serves as the island's airfield, Anna spotted the giant lettering on the sand. Jamie later told the BBC that her first reaction was a puzzled "what?", followed by a yes once she realised the words were meant for her. Other passengers worked out what was going on and applauded.
Loganair
The message seen from above: "Anna will you marry me?" scratched into the firm sand beside the beach runway, with the airport car park and terminal at the left edge. Image released by Loganair, the airline that operates the Glasgow–Barra route.
Once the plane had landed, Jamie went down on one knee on the beach itself, near the letters, so the moment could be repeated on the ground. That scene, shared by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL), is the photograph at the top of this page.
Why Barra's beach runway is so special
Barra Airport is believed to be the only airport in the world where scheduled passenger flights use a tidal beach as their runway. There is no tarmac strip. Instead, three sand runways, marked out with wooden posts, form a triangle across the bay at the northern tip of the island. When the tide comes in, they disappear under the sea, so the flight timetable shifts from day to day to match the tides.
The airfield opened in 1936, and the first airliner to use it was a de Havilland Dragon. Today Loganair flies there from Glasgow with de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters, rugged high-wing aircraft that can land on short, soft surfaces and can usually point into the wind on whichever of the three strips suits the conditions. The airport is run by HIAL, the public company that operates most of the airports in the Highlands and Islands.
Barra regularly appears in lists of the world's most scenic airport approaches. In 2011, a poll run by the private jet company PrivateFly voted it the world's most spectacular airport approach, up from tenth place the year before. For a self-described aviation fan, a message written on that particular beach was about as personal as a proposal could get.
How the surprise was organised
Jamie did not simply turn up and hope. A couple of months before the trip he sent Loganair a message on Facebook explaining his idea, and the airline replied that it would sort it out. Loganair and the airport team then coordinated the details between them. In his interview with the BBC, Jamie said he had not expected the airport to agree, and that staff even ran checks with a drone to make sure the lettering sat in the right spot to be seen from the plane.
That kind of preparation matters on Barra. The sand is a working runway, the tide decides when it is usable, and aircraft approach from different directions depending on the wind. Anything written on the beach has to be placed where it will not interfere with landings, timed so the sea will not wash it away first, and angled so it can be read from the passenger side of the cabin. HIAL said that as soon as its staff heard about the plan they were sure they wanted to help make it happen.
Barra Airport/Hial
Jamie on one knee in front of Anna on Traigh Mhòr after landing, with the large letters of the message still visible on the sand behind them. Photo released by Barra Airport and HIAL.
An island-sized welcome
Barra has a population of around 1,200, and news travels fast. Once word of the engagement spread, islanders joined in the celebrations. The Hemsworth and South Elmsall Express reported that the taxi driver at the airport refused to take payment, that the couple were given a homemade pizza and champagne that evening, and that a café sent them off with scones and cakes. Jamie said he planned to send a thank-you gift back to the island.
He was keen to share the credit. In his telling, the airline, the airport staff and local people all went out of their way to help, and the story landed in national news because so many strangers were happy to be part of it. HIAL's own announcement ended with congratulations and good wishes for the couple's future together.
Planning a proposal that involves an airport or public place
Stories like this tend to inspire copycats, so it is worth being clear about what made it work. The surprise succeeded because the people responsible for the site said yes and did the practical work. A few lessons apply to any ambitious proposal in a public or regulated setting:
- Ask the operator first, and early. Jamie contacted the airline months ahead. Airports, harbours, stadiums and parks all have their own rules and busy schedules.
- Never improvise near a runway. Walking onto an airfield, writing on it or flying your own drone near an airport without permission is dangerous and, in the UK, illegal. The drone checks at Barra were carried out by the airport, not by a passenger.
- Think about the viewpoint. A message seen from a moving vehicle has a few seconds to be noticed. Large, simple lettering and a clear contrast with the background help.
- Keep it about the two of you. The Barra proposal worked because it combined a place Jamie had dreamed of, a hobby he loves and a short, direct question to Anna. The spectacle supported the meaning rather than replacing it.
- Have a quiet second moment ready. Jamie repeated the question on one knee on the beach, which gave them a private moment after the public one.
Visiting Barra yourself
The beach landing is open to anyone with a ticket. Loganair flies between Glasgow and Barra, and the flight time is a little over an hour. Because the runway is tidal, departure times change through the year; the airline publishes the schedule well in advance. When no aircraft are due, the beach is used by cockle pickers and walkers; visitors are asked to keep clear of the runway areas whenever flights are due.
For the couple, at least, the trip became more than a bucket-list flight. At the time of the engagement they were saving for a wedding within a couple of years, with a story already written in sand.
Sources: HIAL: A message in the sand at Barra Airport (20 May 2021); Hemsworth and South Elmsall Express: Wakefield man pops the question; BBC News interview with Jamie Forde; Wikipedia: Barra Airport. Photos: Loganair; Barra Airport/HIAL.
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