Katie Mcnicol had been thinking of getting a tattoo in memory of her late husband for years.
On Saturday, July 24, she finally took the plunge.
The 86-year-old lost her husband in 2018 and wanted to have something permanent to remember him by.
Their love story is a long and romantic one that all started with a taxi ride home.
Ms Mcnicol said: “He was a taxi driver and he took me home one night. That was the start of it all.”
Accompanied by her niece, she went along to Aberdeen’s Shazink Tattoo Studio on Saturday.
She asked to have her late husband’s name, Cameron, tattooed on her arm.
Getting a tattoo hadn’t always been something Ms Mcnicol wanted to do, but in recent years it became somewhat of a bucket list item.
She said: “I thought about it and thought about it, then I just got it done.”
The Bridge of Don local said she is “very happy” with how her tattoo turned out.
Despite not being a fan of needles, she said the pain wasn’t too bad: “It was painful when they put the needle in, it was sore a wee bit but then okay.”
The skin around the tattoo is bruised which is common on older skin, but it will heal in time.
‘I wanted to make sure I did it as well as I could for her’
Shazink Tattoo Studio is located in Aberdeen city centre.
Shelby Hawick is one of the resident artists at the studio and did Ms Mcnicol’s tattoo.
Knowing the sentimental value of the tattoo meant that Miss Hawick was keen to ensure that her client felt as comfortable as possible throughout the process.
She said: “That’s the scariest part, she doesn’t know what to expect and I don’t know how long she’s been wanting to do this for, so it’s like a build up on anticipation for her.
“I wanted to make sure I did it as well as I could for her.”
Ms Mcnicol said everyone at the studio was “very nice.”
When asked if she would like to get any more tattoos in the future, Ms Mcnicol laughed and said “one is enough.”
‘Everyone loves to see older people getting tattoos’
Miss Hawick shared Ms Mcnicol’s photo on the studio Facebook page in the hopes that it would encourage more older people to live out their dreams of getting a tattoo.
She said: “Everyone loves to see older people getting tattoos. I think it’s because a lot of people assume tattoos are for younger people, but that’s obviously not entirely true.
“I hope she gives everyone a boost to come and get tattooed as well.”
Hoping to give advice to anyone older who might be looking to get a tattoo, Miss Hawick said it is important to contact the studio in advance if they have any queries.
She said: “There are sometimes medications people can be on which means that they might not be able to get tattooed.
“If that’s something they’re worried about they can always have a chat with their doctor or phone us and ask for any information.”
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