Some time today, a cavalcade of limousines will snake its way north from Inverness airport towards Dornoch, and normal life in this small Highland town will cease.

Not that it has been routine recently. Ever since the notice confirming the marriage of Madonna Louise Ciccone and Guy Stuart Ritchie was posted in the local register office, to the popping of countless flashbulbs, Dornoch has been on the celebrity map. And it does not mind a bit.

"It's absolutely great for business," said Colin Thompson, owner of the Dornoch Castle hotel, yesterday. "People in the community are very excited, no one is really being negative. You should have seen the size of the limo parked outside the hotel this morning."

There are still few hard facts about the wedding, except that it will take place on Friday, either at Skibo Castle or Dornoch Cathedral. But that has not stopped feverish speculation about the ceremony, the guest list and the honeymoon, among many other things.

Gwyneth is coming, so Jennifer is not; Madonna will wear Versace, no, Chloe, no, something by Jemima Khan; the wedding banquet will have a Braveheart theme with waiters in woad and straw on the floor; Rocco is to wear a tiny kilt and sporran; and his mother will sing at his christening. Oh no she won't. Oh yes she will.

This weekend the international press corps arrived, satellite trucks and well-coiffed correspondents jockeying for position with local freelancers and teams from the tabloids.

Hefty sums have been offered to locals who have property overlooking the cathedral, and helicopter companies have been inundated with charter requests. A hotelier is hoping to fix a webcam to one of his turrets for live internet coverage of the town centre.

Dornoch has watched it all with a mixture of bemusement and gratitude. For all that it has been painted as a backwater Brigadoon, the town, population 2,500, is not unused to celebrity sightings. Its golf course draws enthusiasts from all over the world, and Skibo is a popular retreat for some of Hollywood's glossiest.

But few have had the impact of the Material Girl. And Dornoch hopes that once the vows have been made and the media has gone the economic boom will continue.

Tourism is the Highlands' lifeblood and has been in decline. But within days of the wedding annoucement, tourist offices were inundated with requests for information. A website to promote Highland weddings received 6,000 hits in its first week. It is estimated that Madonna's event could bring £1.5m to the local economy in the next few weeks.

"My mind has been in a buzz with it all," said Sandra Peterkin, of the Highlands tourist board. "We couldn't buy the attention we have had from the world's media."

The town plans to celebrate the nuptials in style. Nothing too showy - that wouldn't be "the Dornoch way". There will be a pipe band, bars will stay open longer, and the mobile cinema will show Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Desperately Seeking Susan as a tribute to the couple.

Locals realise that what will be a most important day in Madonna's life will also be a big one in theirs.