PICTURES: Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh Edward and Sophie visit Grantown
Grantown welcomed royal visitors yesterday afternoon when the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh visited the strath.
Edward and Sophie arrived by helicopter at the Healthfield showground just after 2pm before taking a walk along the town’s High Street.
Their first port of all was The Grantown Remakery to meet members of the social enterprise that supports local young people by helping them develop work and employment skills through the repair and refurbishment of household items.
They then made a short stop at award-winning High Street bookshop The Bookmark, run by Marjory Marshall, which made the shortlist of The British Book Awards 2024’s independent bookshop of the year award.
Ms Marshall said: “They didn’t have very long here but they were very nice and very interested in what they saw - we had some children in form one of the primary schools readng and they seemed very interested in it
And from there it was on to The Royal British Legion Scotland Strathspey branch in The Square where they were greeted by Grantown school band and had the chance to meet more representatives of a host of other local organisations.
They then made their way to the Cairn Distillery in operation at Lower Gaich on the outskirts of the town, marking with a tree planting.
As the youngest son of the late Queen and Prince Philip, Edward was given his father’s former title of Duke of Edinburgh on his 59th birthday in March last year, bestowed by his older brother, King Charles.
Together he and Sophie have been among senior royals stepping up their public duties in the wake of health scares for both the King and the Princess of Wales.
Edward’s ducal title is not hereditary so it will revert to the crown on his death.
