The sounds of armoured combat will echo from Scone Palace at the weekend as some of the world’s finest 21st Century knights do battle.
The fighters will don armour and go-sword-to-sword as a real-life Games of Thrones plays out in Perthshire.
The Tournament of Destiny will delve into the nation’s past for a colourful event that is expected to attract a large all-ages audience.
Among those taking up arms will be former university rugby players Euan Campbell and Kirsty Langley, who have found themselves swept up in a passion for medieval combat.
Euan, 23, got a taste for full-contact battles while he was a student at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.
The sport of full contact medieval combat has grown rapidly over the past decade and 2,500 to 3,000 participants are now involved worldwide, in 40 countries.
Some attribute it to the success of the television show, but for Glaswegian civil engineer Euan it was a combination of loving medieval history and wanting to find a sport that thrilled.
“I thought at first it sounded a bit silly because you’re just getting hurt but after just one go at it, I was hooked,” he said.
“In fact there is more risk of an injury playing rugby than there is with FCMC. Everyone is wearing armour and it’s designed so that it’s historically accurate. Mine weighs between 20 and 30 kilos.
“If there is an injury it’s usually down to either a problem with the armour or an illegal battle move on the part of the player.”
“The worst I’ve had is bad bruises and the worst I’ve seen is a broken foot or arm.”
Kirsty, 28, is a primary school teacher and a self-confessed Games of Thrones addict who says she goes through a “transformation” when she dons her armour.
She said: “My armour is from Russia and is much heavier than your average, especially the helmet. I like that my helmet is slightly scary. I put on my armour and get into a different zone.”
The rules of FCMC battles dictate that armour and weapons should be historically accurate to within 50 years of the time period – though swords and axes are blunted to avoid serious injury.
As well as being a fun sport for the participants, the tournament should make for a great public spectacle, with duelling, team fights, archery and a medieval military encampment to explore.
It runs between 10am and 4pm.
It is the precursor to an even bigger event taking place next summer, when the Palace will host the International Medieval Combat Federation World Championships over three days in May.
