Lord High Commissioner inspects the guard

THIS year’s Lord High Commissioner, the Queen’s official representative to the General Assembly, Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, inspects the guard of The Highlanders, 4th Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland (4 SCOTS) at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

He arrived last night to take up residence ahead of today’s official opening of the Assembly, when Bo’ness minister the Rev Albert Bogle is due to be installed as Moderator for the next 12 months.

Lord Selkirk, who started his political career as an Edinburgh councillor before serving for 23 years as MP for Edinburgh West, including a spell as a Scottish Office minister, and later eight years as an MSP, will entertain VIP guests at the palace during Assembly week.

His father was Lord High Commissioner for four Assemblies in the mid-1950s and his wife’s grandfather, the writer John Buchan, Lord Tweedsmuir, also had the role in 1933 and 1934.