A HEARTBROKEN Canadian woman has opened up about losing her fiancé while they were planning their wedding – and has embarked on their honeymoon to Scotland in his honour.
Alicia Scott, 35, was devastated when her husband-to-be, Kris Spencer, tragically died on October 7, 2024, after developing complications with diabetes.
Alicia Scott and Kris Spencer, who tragically died on October 7, 2024 Credit: Supplied
Kris passed away after developing complications with diabetes Credit: Supplied
The couple, from Nova Scotia, always planned to go to Scotland on their honeymoon Credit: Supplied
Outlander fan Alicia was delighted to visit Midhope Castle on her trip Credit: Supplied
The couple, from Wolfville, Nova Scotia, had been together for nine years after meeting in their early twenties and were looking forward to spending the rest of their lives together.
But before they managed to walk down the aisle, Kris’ blood sugars spiked to 83, and he went into a diabetic coma.
He quickly developed liver failure, and after he was put on life support, he tragically passed away aged just 37.
The couple always planned to travel to Scotland for their honeymoon, with the country being at the top of Kris’ bucket list of destinations.
Now, almost two years later, brave Alicia decided to come to Scotland without him and tick off all the plans they made together.
The mum-of-one left Nova Scotia on June 15 and stayed in Scotland for just over two weeks before flying back on July 1.
She told The Scottish Sun: “It’s tragic. It was October 2024 when I lost him. It was the day before my birthday.
“We had planned our wedding, and we wanted to go to Scotland for our honeymoon.
“I have one more year of school left, and this year I was like ‘you know what, I’m going to do it, I’m going to honour him, and I’m going to honour myself and my new life’, and I don’t know, try to…I don’t want to say make the best of it, but try to create something beautiful.
“It definitely teaches you to grab life by the horns. So that’s what I’m doing.”
Speaking of her loss, Alicia told how she misses Kris every day but is determined to live life to the full for both of them.
She added: “It’s still hard. He was my best friend, and, even though he’s not here, I want to keep honouring him in the best way I can. And I want to honour myself, and that’s what gets me through.
“I get people that tell me that for the loss that I’m going through, I’m doing well, but, I don’t know.
“To know Kris was to be seen and to be loved, is the best way I can explain it. And that’s all I keep doing. He’s not here to pour that love into me anymore, so I’m just doing it now.
“I still feel like I’m close to him. I was with him when he passed away, and we never said goodbyes. It was more, ‘See you later’. So my plan is to rock life until I find him again.”
After jetting into Edinburgh with her sister, Alicia spent 16 days travelling across the country and visited everything from castles to farms to iconic landmarks.
Alicia brought Kris ashes with her to scatter him across Scotland Credit: Supplied
She visited around two to three castles a day to honour Kris who loved them Credit: Supplied
And she said it was everything she needed to heal her broken heart.
Alicia said: “I loved it. Scotland was exactly what a grieving heart needs. It’s beautiful, and the people are beautiful. I’m tearing up just thinking about it all.
“There were lots of tears, but it was not as sad or dark as I expected. Like I was expecting to grieve more than I did, and it was more healing.
“I’d say it was closure. I’ll always remember him, and he’ll always be with me, but it feels like I can kind of move on with life without such a heavy burden of like, we never made it to our honeymoon. We made it.”
She was determined to visit the sites that she knew Kris would love, and that included visiting as many castles as possible.
Alicia said: “I tried keeping it to what Kris would have liked to do as well. He was into a lot of military history. So I went to a place called Commando Memorial in Lochaber.
“Every morning I’d wake up, and I’d look on like Google Maps, and if I seen the little castle symbol, I clicked on it.
“So it was probably close to two or three castles I would try to visit in a day. I’m an Outlander fan, so Midhope Castle was a must.
Alicia said the highlight of her trip was going the Highland Fling in Killiecrankie Credit: Supplied
Alicia said she wanted to honour Kris by doing their honeymoon Credit: Supplied
“I wanted to go to Blackness Castle, but then I got distracted driving down into Edinburgh. I just ended up going straight there, and I went shopping on the Royal Mile!”
Despite coming to Scotland without Kris, Alicia says her fiancé was very much with her, and even brought some of his ashes with her to scatter in places where she felt his presence the most.
And Buchanan Castle was one of those places after Kris told her that it was the one place in the world that he wanted to visit.
She said: “Buchanan Castle was my favourite, but that was because it was Kris’ number one spot. It was his number one bucket list place.
“He had seen it on TV one day and he goes, ‘That has the same name as my mom’s last name’. So I went there, and that was beautiful.
“It was during a rainstorm with the thunder and it was extremely dramatic. It was so beautiful just to see the ruins of this castle with the thunder and the downpour. And it was peaceful in an odd way.
“I got to spread them around there, so he made it to his number one bucket list place. But I made it all around the whole country, so is he spread throughout.”
One thing that Alicia really wanted to see was Scotland’s famous stunning sunrises, but the weather meant she only got to see two over her 16-day trip.
‘The most beautiful sunrise I’ve ever seen’ says Alicia as she watched it come up in Craig Credit: Supplied 'Get your blood work checked'
Alicia has pleaded for everyone to get their bloods checked after tragically losing Kris to the "horrible" disease.
She told how the couple didn’t realise how bad things had gotten for Kris because he skipped his checks for a few years and wasn’t showing any symptoms.
She said: “I tell everybody, at least once a year, get your blood work checked. It’s something as simple as that.
“He skipped a couple of years, and we didn’t realise how bad his sugars were. And there aren’t always symptoms when it comes to high blood sugar.”
The mum has also shared several Facebook posts urging people to learn from their mistakes.
One post read: “We all lost a very special, caring and loving man to this horrible disease.
“Looking back, he didn’t have most of the symptoms, and the symptoms he did have could also be related to shift work (Fatigue). He blamed his (weight gain) on my cooking.
“It wasn’t until the last week leading up to his death that he showed more signs (Irritable, frequent urination, dry mouth). But by then it was too late.
“In my heartbreak, it makes me so freaking mad that this could have been preventable if he would have just went for his yearly check ups and bloodwork.
“That’s it, that’s all, just some bloodwork. It would have been a lifestyle change, but he still would be here if he took his health seriously.
“So with that being said GET YOUR BLOODWORK done people. You are WANTED, NEEDED, and LOVED here.
“Do it for yourself, do it for the ones that love/need you. It’s something so simple you can do, and it would avoid your loved ones going through what we are going through”.
She added: “One sunrise that I got to see was in a place called Craig, just east of Plockton, and honestly I cried. It was the most beautiful sunrise I think I’ve ever seen.”
Sharing her favourite moments, Alicia said: “My highlight for myself was the Highland Fling – I mean, I jumped off a bridge!
“Then on my last day, I did the Alva Glen, and that was breathtaking. I probably spent about six hours up in those mountains.
“Every time I would turn around, there was a new view. Then I finished off the night at the Johnston Arms Hotel, which has a little bar in it. And, I learned I can’t drink at the rate that some of you Scots can!
“I think staying in Alva was my favourite place. I found that those last four days there, it was healing for myself.
“I also stayed at Craig Highland Farms, and I would recommend anyone that wants to go off the beaten path and just relax, that’s the place to be.
“I also fell in love with your guys’ baked goods – you guys have bakeries and cafes everywhere!
“Every morning I would find a bakery and then I’d get talking to whoever was working. I think I gained about 15 pounds just on baked goods.
“I tried whiskey, and then I went to a gin distillery up in Loch Ness. I really liked the gin. And I got to dip my toes into the North Sea.
“It was exactly what someone needs to heal. It was beautiful.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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