Patriotic Scotsman drives 500 miles with wife to ensure baby born in Scotland

May 14, 2010 by Shawn Douglas
Filed under: News

A patriotic Scotsman insisted that his wife give birth to their new baby in his native home in Scotland, driving over 1000 miles roundtrip to do it.

Leanne McDermaid, of Aldershot, Hampshire in England, knew that when she had her first child with husband Danny McDermaid, she was going to likely make a very long trip to do it.

“When Danny and I first got married he did always say to me he wanted his first child to be born up in Scotland,” McDermaid told the BBC.

“Danny convinced me it was a normal occurrence for Scotsmen to do this.”

So on March 30, while 37 weeks pregnant, Leanne McDermaid and her mother began a road trip to Arbroath, Angus in Scotland as late winter storms rolled through the countryside.

Before leaving on the trip, McDermaid realized that the trip was going to be very close to 500 miles long. She said it reminded her of the Proclaimers’ song “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).”

“My mum and I found ourselves singing the Proclaimers song all the way up the road,” she told the Daily Record.

The duo arrived in Arbroath, where it was arranged for them to stay at her sister-in-law’s home until the baby arrived. Danny McDermaid, an Army major based in Aldershot, suggested that his wife take advantage of the services at the Arbroath Infirmary.

With a due date of April 19, Danny McDermaid arranged to be with his wife ten days before. Yet it wasn’t until April 22 that the couple’s baby was born.

“I was due to go to Ninewells Hospital later that day for an induction, but it was Arbroath that we really wanted,” she told the Arbroath Herald.

“I was booked in at 1:30 p.m., and luckily Chloe arrived at 6:30 a.m. We did try the old trick of going for a curry the night before my waters broke, so I think it definitely worked!”

Leanne McDermaid gave birth to a healthy 7 pound, 3.5 ounce baby Chloe at the infirmary on the morning of April 22. Afterwards, she praised the staff for their work.

“I could not say enough about the unit,” she told the BBC.

“They were absolutely fantastic. The midwives were brilliant. They treated us all so well - when I left, I cried.”

“We’ll definitely come back if we have a second,” she added.