The Bridal Path

Katie leaves Beigg to train as a nurse in Glasgow, ending the island romance. The old rule that keeps cousins from marrying on Beigg makes their union impossible, prompting Ewan to rethink his future. Her departure sets the story in motion toward the mainland and new possibilities.

Ewan is persuaded by the islanders to look for a wife on the mainland, since marrying on Beigg isn't an option. He must venture beyond the island, a place he's never visited, in search of a partner. The plan highlights the social pressure of tradition and kinship on the island.

He withdraws £400 from the £800 saved in a bank in Oban, arming himself with cash for the journey. The action demonstrates the scale of his plan to find a wife far from home. He then prepares to travel toward the mainland's towns and villages.

The islanders advise what Ewan should look for: strong legs, wide hips, knowledge of cows and sheep, and not a candle-burning Catholic or a Campbell. The list exposes local prejudice and humor while shaping Ewan's search. It also foreshadows the social gauntlet he will navigate on the mainland.

The first girl he meets on the mainland is absorbed in a lurid paperback, misreading Ewan's innocent interest for something sinister. She informs the local police, triggering suspicions about him. This misjudgment launches his reputation as a would-be troublemaker early in the quest.

After a police misunderstanding, Ewan borrows a policeman's bicycle and escapes pursuit. The chase turns his quest into a rapid, chaotic escape across the mainland. His harmless innocence is increasingly misread by strangers.

Ewan is mistaken for the leader of a dynamite-wielding salmon poaching gang and is arrested on a wide range of charges. The police do not believe his story, leaving him to face a nearly comic string of accusations. His attempt to clear his name is thwarted by misunderstanding and suspicion.

There is no jail on the island, so Ewan is held overnight at the police sergeant's home. He manages to escape custody and resumes his flight, continuing to meet more girls along the way. The rough hospitality underscores the rough edges of his predicament.

Two sisters, with whom he takes refuge, come to blows over his attention. He takes their boat and the money they had agreed upon, then hitches a passage on a fishing boat. The sequence shows the ongoing misfortune of his search and the stubbornness of his pursuit.

The fishing boat is seized by fishermen from a nearby island who think they are encroaching on their grounds. Ewan is locked in a shed during the takeover, a tense moment that tests his resilience. He is eventually rescued by a local girl, and they row back toward his home island.

A local girl rescues him, and they row back to Ewan's home island. The long pursuit ends with his return to familiar ground and a sense of relief after the ordeal. The experience underscores the weariness of his search and the pull of home.

As the adventure wears on, Ewan is starving and has not managed a square meal. He and Katie decide to marry anyway, choosing love despite the ban on consanguinity. The decision resolves the central tension by aligning heart with family tradition in a rebellious choice.