A number of Victorian love letters written by the parents of a former prime minister are being published online for Valentine's Day.
The letters were written in 1843 by James Maitland Balfour, then MP for Haddington in East Lothian, and his bride-to-be, Lady Blanche Cecil, the daughter of the Marquess of Salisbury.
Their eldest son, Arthur Balfour, would go on to be prime minister between 1902 and 1905.
The letters were among a number of papers bought for the national archives last year by National Records Scotland (NRS).
Archivist Veronica Schreuder said: "History already documents the union of these two immensely influential families but these private letters show us the tender young couple in love, eager that they would get on with each other's families. We're putting extracts online today so people can read them for themselves."
One letter was dated 15 July 1843 - a month before the couple's wedding.
Mr Balfour proposed and she accepted, which triggered a flurry of excited letters between family members. There are congratulations from his parents, his brother-in-law and even her nine-year-old brother.
Mr Balfour wrote:
"My dearest Lady Blanche, I cannot leave town with no chance of seeing you again for many months without doing that which must either make me the happiest or most wretched of men.
"O Lady Blanche, I love you deeply fervently and O how happy should I be if I could only hope that that love was returned."
Mr Balfour also said of his family's excitement:
"I am sure it will give you pleasure to see how delighted they are at the thought of having you for a sister and how they long to know and like you."
Ms Schreuder said:
"In some ways their story is a sad one as James Balfour died only 13 years later at the age of 36 from TB [tuberculosis] but it was also a successful marriage.
"They had eight children: three daughters and five sons, who would all go on to lead influential lives. Their eldest son, Arthur, followed in the footsteps of his uncle to become prime minister in 1902."
The couple were marred at Lady Blanche's family home, Hatfield House, in Hertfordshire, at ages 23 and 18.
The Duke of Wellington, then leader of the House of Lords, was among the guests and he gave them the use of a property on his estate for their honeymoon.
The couple went on to have a family home at Whittingehame, East Lothian, and an estate at Strathconon in the Highlands.
(c) Sky News 2023: Victorian era love letters published online for Valentine's Day
Event Bookings Go Live For Worthing Festival ‘24
Man Charged After Throwing Brick Through Brighton Restaurant Window
Peacehaven Man Disqualified Over High-Speed A27 Pursuit Near Brighton
Appeal After PCSO Assaulted In Uckfield
Man Charged With Rape Of Teenage Girl In Newhaven
Overnight Closures For A22 Forest Row Road Improvements
Brighton Defence Manufacturer's Controversial Planning Application Likely To Be Heard
Over £2.4m Approved For Worthing School Support Centre
Section Of M25 To Close Again Tonight - As Drivers Warned Not To Get Complacent
Plans For 800 New Horsham Homes Refused