They met on the internet, widely regarded as a very efficient way to meet very strange people. The seventy miles between them seemed all the greater when Kathleen decided to show her enthusiasm by leaving the country before they met. Alisdair was not discouraged and they began a prolific email exchange that caught the attention of Kathleen's host (and now Best Woman) Whitney, who noted that Kathleen was far happier when writing to Alisdair than she was when working. They exploited the time difference; each began and ended the day with a missive. Interesting topics of conversation included the norovirus, plans for world domination, semicolons, and Kathleen's shocking confession that she had never seen Die Hard. Despite their continental separation, Alisdair's hopes were raised when Kathleen inadvertently referred to her teddy bear Sebastian as "the other man in [her] life". Kathleen, meanwhile, put aside her lifelong fear of being serial-killed and readily agreed when Alisdair suggested a surprise programme for their first date.

The first time Alisdair and Kathleen went out in Aberdeen he locked her in a room, and the second time he made her sign a waiver. Kathleen is very fond of telling people this, and Alisdair is concerned that this makes him sound like a murderous psychopath - he does not want you to have any reason to worry about this, unless you find the pile of dead bodies under his living room floor. They met on the banks of the Dee. Kathleen approached from the north, having accidentally veered onto the new bypass despite what Alisdair would like to note were very clear (and easy-to-follow) instructions. Nonetheless, they made it to their first activity on time. It was an Escape Room, as Alisdair felt that this would test their ability to communicate and co-operate. They passed, putting the elves to bed, finding the Star and saving Christmas. (Yes, this date took place in December). A meal in a beachfront restaurant followed, and then Kathleen's only disappointment of the day: Alisdair refused to let her kidnap a spaniel. It was against the law, you see; to this day Alisdair's logic and reason continue to thwart Kathleen's schemes. The date rounded off with a pub quiz, where Kathleen was a major asset to the team, knowing all the answers in a particular round (Yes, it was a Christmas round). Last but not least, Alisdair suggested upgrading Kathleen's status from "woman in his life" to "girlfriend". Kathleen's agreement was enthusiastic, judging by the "yes" before he had even got the question out. That said, Kathleen readily admits she did not know where the sentence was going. On the second Aberdeen date, Alisdair wowed Kathleen with a meal on a bus. Then it was on to the waiver-signing - Alisdair (familiar with Kathleen by now) had booked them on Scotland's only inflatable theme park. Surprisingly, they were the only adults there without kids. Unsurprisingly, Kathleen spent a significant chunk of their allotted hour trying to get up from the bouncy floor.

They kept writing. The relationship now official, they decided to share the happy news with their parents, though there were oversights on both sides. Alisdair forgot to tell his parents about the time Kathleen got into a crowded lift and said, "I suppose you're wondering why I gathered you all here"; Kathleen neglected to make clear to her parents that she was not in this relationship under duress. Nonetheless, Alisdair quickly established a rapport with them. Soon it was time to meet Kathleen in her natural habitat. Alisdair's reservations about visiting Dundee disappeared entirely when he found out he didn't need any vaccinations to visit. Dog Scout's reservations about the strange man entering her life disappeared with offerings of ball-throwing and the fact he could chase her up the stairs. Kathleen was introduced to Die Hard, at long last. She further secured her credentials by declaring that it was clearly a Christmas film. It is now an annual tradition. They continue to introduce each other to "classic" films. At time of writing, Kathleen had just seen Jurassic Park for the first time. The relationship comfortably and naturally progressed at speed, such that there is some disagreement between the two Burt women (Kathleen and Scout) over who loved him first. Scout claims it only took her a matter of hours, on the day they met. Kathleen's claim depends on whether "I actually love you" counts as sufficiently clear, for that is the way she decided to break the news. Alisdair decided to wait until Paris to say it. Admittedly, this wasn't a long wait. The period of time from Kathleen saying: "One day I'd like to take you to Paris" to "I've booked tickets" lasted less than a week. Five days in Paris followed; Kathleen being an excellent tour guide in a city she knew well. Alisdair enjoyed the trip and also the reaction when they returned home. Kathleen's parents were reassessing his mental faculties when he declared Kathleen to be a "relaxing travel companion".

Kathleen and Alisdair discussed marriage only a few months into their relationship. Not theirs; Kathleen's longtime friend Meg and her fiance Duke decided to get married in Scotland. Kathleen was impressed by Alisdair's willingness to throw himself into the project, preparing a guide for the American visitors who were attending their first Scottish wedding. While they believe themselves to be well-matched (a personality test showed them to be 99% compatible, a fact that greatly concerned Kathleen's parents), Alisdair and Kathleen were surprised when - barely a few weeks into their relationship - people began to ask them when they would get married. To stall speculators, they told people that they wouldn't get married until all the guests had unicorn onesies, as they considered this to be the height of wedding fashion. They were pretty sure that they had got away with it. It was most surprising, therefore, that the night before their own wedding, Meg and Duke appeared in their unicorn onesies, saying, "It's your turn!" A few months later, they found themselves in Gretna Green, scene of many a literary and scandalous elopement, standing in front of an anvil, dressed as unicorns, while the officiant led them through the handfasting ceremony. Handfasting is a wonderful Scottish tradition in which a couple can pledge themselves to each other, dating back to the times before legally registering marriages was the norm. But they promised everyone that, when they were ready, they would involve you all in a wedding for the ages...

Kathleen enjoys a Leap Day tradition of proposing to unsuspecting men. Tradition dictates that the 29th February is the day for women to propose, and that any man who turns down such a proposal is obliged to provide the proposer with a substantial sum of money or items of clothing. Kathleen’s constant reminders of this suggested to Alisdair that this might be in the offing. Kathleen had not previously been in a current relationship on Leap Day, and Alisdair is Aberdonian. He wasn’t parting with his cash if he could help it. So he prepared to accept the proposal if it came. Your move, Kathleen! Her move was to turn their “Jungle Room” into an Escape Room for the afternoon. Almost three hours of a crossword, jigsaw, riddles and other puzzles later, Alisdair was directed to check Scout’s collar. She wore a tag saying “Will you marry my Mummy?” Alisdair’s response: “Not no…”