AS a hotel concierge, Angus Grant is used to going out of his way to help tourists.
Whether it be arranging for a taxi or pointing them towards the nearest restaurant, the 55-year-old is always happy to please.
But the concierge at the Carlton Highland Hotel, on North Bridge, Edinburgh, has taken his helpfulness to new heights -
by offering himself as a best man for loved-up couples.
Mr Grant first performed the role last August when he helped Americans Reagan Pratt and Clare Georgantas tie the knot.
And yesterday - a year to the day later - he walked down the aisle again, this time with two visitors from London.
Mr Grant, from, Slateford Road, Edinburgh, offered his services to bride and groom Melanne Maddalene, 47, and Andrew Randall, 48, on Wednesday when they said they were thinking of getting married while on holiday in the Capital.
Mr Grant, who has worked as a concierge for more than ten years, made the necessary arrangements, and the pair yesterday walked down the aisle together at the Registry Office in India Buildings, Victoria Street.
"I was chatting to them when they arrived, because part of my job is getting to know the guests," he said. "I asked them what they were planning on doing while they were in Edinburgh, and they said they might get married.
"They told me they didn’t have a best man, so I said ‘I’m your man’ and they were delighted."
And part-time actor Mr Grant, who is playing Duncan, King of Scotland, in a Redhead Productions’ Fringe performance of Macbeth, introduced the happy couple to the rest of the cast and recruited Lady Macbeth actress Sarah Newman as a bridesmaid.
"They’re very lucky - they’ve got a king for their best man and Lady Macbeth for a bridesmaid," said Mr Grant.
He added: "The rest of the cast really wanted to come too, but they’ve got a performance of Sherlock Holmes at the same time, so they couldn’t make it." Mr Grant, who wore his concierge uniform consisting of a navy coat and tartan trousers, also organised for his hotel colleague, Alan Gray, 22, to play the bagpipes in Highland dress.
Mrs Randall, an occupational therapist originally from New Jersey, in the US, and IT consultant Mr Randall planned their wedding only two weeks before.
Mr Randall was born in Edinburgh, but later moved to London where he met Melanne two years ago. He said: "Mel had never heard of Gretna Green, so we decided to come to Edinburgh to do it."
And the pair, who have not yet told their parents or daughters Taylor, 14, and Jen, 22, about the wedding, said they planned to surprise them with a copy of the Evening News, sent direct to their homes today.
"We really want to shock them, so we’re going to FedEx copies of the paper straight to our families - in the States and in London," said Mrs Randall.
Mr Grant, who planned to whisk the pair away to a city restaurant for their reception, said he was happy the day had gone well.
"At the end of the day my main task at the hotel is to be a people person and that’s what I try to do," he said. "I just sensed right away what they were after, so I gave it to them."
