It was love at first sight when Andrew and Isabella Strachan met as teenagers more than 60 years ago.
And the pair, who met in Fraserburgh, have now celebrated their diamond anniversary.
Mr Strachan, now 81, said it took him just moments to realise that she was the woman he wanted to be with for the rest of his life.
At their Rosehearty home, the couple said although it had not always been easy they still enjoyed each others company.
Mrs Strachan, 79, had been forced to move across the country to be with her husband in the early years after he had accepted a job with the Ministry of Defence.
Mr Strachan, who had been a fisherman before, accepted work as a trainer for the MoD’s police service and had to move home every two years to different parts of the country.
“I trained the police to operate boats,” he said.
“We cleared the Clyde for the submarines that were coming and going. It was tough moving every couple of years for us – and there was a lot of upheaval for Isabella.
“But we’ve had some good times together. We met when I was just 17 and Isabella was turning 16.
“It was love at first sight.”
Today, the couple, who have a son and daughter, spend their days in the garden tending to a growing collection of flowers, fruits and vegetables and doting on their two grandchildren.
Mr Sutherland added: “We have a big garden that we enjoy.
“We grow a little bit of everything to keep us active – chrysanthemums, even melons.”
The couple even have some advice for young lovers taking their first steps into marriage.
The secret, Mr Sutherland says, is knowing when to give way to your partner.
He said: “The secret for a long and successful marriage?
“Knowing when your wife is right and when to shut up.”
As part of their anniversary celebrations, Aberdeenshire Council handed the couple a bottle of malt whisky.