The Queen inspected a guard of honour formed by soldiers recently returned from Afghanistan as she began her annual week of engagements in Scotland.
She inspected troops from the Royal Scots Borderers as part of the ancient Ceremony of the Keys at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.
During the event, she was handed the keys to the city and welcomed to her “ancient and hereditary kingdom of Scotland” by Lord Provost Donald Wilson.
As always, and in keeping with tradition, she handed them back, entrusting their safekeeping to the city’s elected officials.
The Queen then inspected the troops of A Company, the Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland, who were gathered on the palace forecourt.
The light infantry battalion, based at Dreghorn barracks in Edinburgh, mainly recruits its soldiers from Dumfries and Galloway, the Lothians, the Borders and parts of Lanarkshire.
Also known as 1 Scots, the battalion was most recently deployed to Afghanistan in September last year as part of Operation Herrick 17. They returned to the UK in April.
The outdoor ceremony at the palace, for which the Queen wore a mint green coat and hat, was watched by several dozen invited guests who soaked up the sunshine.
The ceremony began with the playing of the national anthem and the simultaneous sound of a 21-gun royal salute from Edinburgh Castle, at the other end of the Royal Mile.
The salute was carried out by gunners from 19th Regiment Royal Artillery.
Their commanding officer, Colonel John Oldroyd, said: “The regiment was honoured to fire the royal salute at the castle to mark Her Majesty’s arrival in Edinburgh for royal week.”