Queen’s visit to Scotland: Queen avoids the rain but nation braced for downpour

THE Queen managed to avoid the downpours as her annual week-long stay in Scotland got under way – but the weather has already put a dampener on her traditional garden party.

While the rain relented to allow Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh to take part in the traditional Ceremony of the Keys in front of Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh yesterday, waterlogged playing fields are set to cause chaos for guests at her annual garden party today.

Police were forced to issue a plea to the 8,000 visitors expected at the palace to leave their cars behind and consider taking public transport to the event after the main car park for the event was ruled out after being “saturated” by several days of heavy rain.

The same conditions are predicted for all the remaining four days of the Queen’s visit to Scotland, in which she is set to attend a thanksgiving service in Glasgow Cathedral, while Prince William is to be installed into the ancient Order of the Thistle in Edinburgh. The Queen is also to visit Perth, just weeks after it was accorded city status.

Visitors to the garden party are being advised to park on Regent Road and walk from there if they are unable to use public transport or arrange a drop-off near the palace.

A spokeswoman for Holyrood Palace said: “The car parking area is water-logged and alternative arrangements will be made for those attending the garden party to follow police directions of where to park. If there is an alternative, however, that would be avoid parking altogether, that would be preferable.”

A police spokesman said: “The normal parking area is out of commission due to the ground being saturated after days of heavy rain and only the area set aside for disabled parking will be available.”

Meanwhile, it was announced yesterday that the Scottish Government is organising a 400-strong parade of pipers and drummers down the Royal Mile to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and herald Prince William’s installation into the Order of the Thistle at St Giles’ Cathedral on Thursday.

The Lothian and Borders Police band will lead a procession from outside the City Chambers around 12:30pm to the Scottish Parliament building, where Highland dancers and folk musicians will entertain the crowds.

Bruce Crawford, secretary for government strategy, said: “Alongside the already exciting Royal Week programme, this event will offer a colourful and memorable tribute to Her Majesty as she visits Scotland in her jubilee year.”

After yesterday’s Ceremony of the Keys, in which the Queen handed back the keys to the city after telling the Lord Provost, Donald Wilson, she is convinced it is in safe hands, Her Majesty was given a private tour of the newly-refurbished Scottish National Portrait Gallery, which was closed to the public for the day.

Among the highlights of the tour was a sneak preview of a newly-commissioned portrait of motor-racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart, who was there in person. The Queen was visiting just weeks after the portrait gallery missed out on the final of the UK-wide museum of the year prize after reaching the final shortlist of four.

Gallery director Nicola Kalinsky said: “It has been a huge honour to have the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visit the gallery. They were very interested in the works we have and they were asking a lot of questions about the collection.

“The Queen has paintings by many of the same artists and was very knowledgeable.”