Scottish cathedral becomes first in the UK to allow same-sex marriages

A Scottish cathedral has become the first Anglican church in the UK to offer same-sex weddings.

St Mary's Cathedral in Glasgow is the first in the country to be given permission to conduct gay weddings, a month after the Scottish Episcopal Church voted to back same-sex marriage.

The vote meant gay Christians from any Anglican Church can now ask to be married in a Scottish Anglican Church.

It constituted a landmark amendment to canon law on marriage, removing the stipulation it is between a man and a woman.

Clergy who wish to officiate at gay marriages will have to “opt-in”, meaning those who disagree with gay marriage would be protected and will not have to act against their conscience.

The Provost of St Mary's, the Very Reverend Kelvin Holdsworth, told Scotland's Evening Times it was "hugely exciting to open up wedding services to all couples who want to get married."

“People at St Mary’s were part of the campaign to allow gay and lesbian couples to get married in Scotland so it is not surprising that we would want to be able to offer such weddings in the cathedral itself."

Mr Holdsworth, who is gay himself, added: “I want to live in a world where same-sex couples can feel safe walking down the street hand in hand and in which they can feel joy walking hand in hand down the aisle of a church too.”

He said the church had already received one booking from an English couple "who can't get married in their local Church of England parish."

Booking forms for marriages on the church's website have been updated to clarify that all couples are welcome to marry.