27 May 2002: A whistle-stop tour of the Highlands and islands of Scotland 

Some of Scotland's most beautiful and remote settlements were the destination for The Queen and Prince Philip during the fifth day of their round-Scotland tour. In visits to the western islands of Skye and Lewis The Queen witnessed lively Gaelic culture, while in Wick, on the very tip of Scotland, The Queen received a warm northern welcome.

The beautiful island of Skye was the first destination of the day. Having arrived with Prince Philip by Royal helicopter, The Queen was greeted in Portree, the island's main town, by thousands of well-wishers waving flags. It had been 46 years since The Queen had last visited the island.

The Queen and Prince Philip were met on arrival by the Lord Lieutenant Captain Roderick Stirling of Fairburn, and Jim Wallace, the Deputy First Minister. Charles Kennedy, the Liberal Democrat leader and the local MP, was also among guests, along with John Farquhar Munro, the area's MSP. Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell accompanied the Royal Party on their Isles tour.

Pupils from the Traditional School of Music at Plockton, on the Scottish mainland, played as The Queen and the Duke toured the square. The Queen met representatives of local organisations including lifeboat volunteers, mountain rescue workers and the Army Cadet Force. The Queen then visited Portree Community Centre where she met elderly residents and users of day-care facilities.

Before leaving, The Queen unveiled a standing stone depicting scenes from the island's life in Somerled Square to mark her visit.

From there it was a helicopter hop to Stornoway, the main town of the island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. In Stornoway an estimated 5,000 flag-waving well-wishers lined the streets to give The Queen an especially warm reception. The island's children had been given the day off to allow them to see The Queen. Nor was it just residents of Lewis who greeted The Queen; islanders from across the Hebrides travelled to Lewis for the occasion, her first visit to the town since 1979.

A group of women performed a traditional Gaelic weaving song for The Queen. They included some of the women who took part in a gala performance at the Usher Hall, in Edinburgh, in 1949. When one of the singers, Mary Macleod, said she was at the event, The Queen replied: "Oh yes, I remember that."

The Queen unveiled a plaque commemorating her Golden Jubilee and joined 200 guests for lunch at Lews Castle College.

From there it was on to Wick, one of the most northerly towns on the Scottish mainland. On the way, The Queen's Flight from Stornoway took time to fly over the Castle of Mey - the much-loved Caithness home of her late mother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Staff at the castle, which is now owned by a trust set up by The Queen Mother, had set out a special “Happy Jubilee” message in an adjoining field which could be seen from the air. The plane twice circled the castle to view the message.

On arrival in Wick The Queen and Prince Philip began a walkabout, speaking to residents of the town and collecting posies from onlookers. From there the Royal party made its way to the Assembly Rooms for afternoon tea with almost 400 invited guests.

Small groups of people lined the route to the reception and from there down to the railway station, where The Queen and Prince Philip were to depart on board the Royal Train. On the way to the station the Royal car made an unscheduled stop at the entrance to Caithness General Hospital. Community midwife Pam McBeath explained that she had accompanied two-day-old Rachel Lyall and her mother Davina to the roadside to see The Queen. On seeing that there was a basket of flowers to collect, The Duke of Edinburgh signalled for the driver to stop and he wound down the window to speak to Pam and Davina.

At the railway station another crowd of well-wishers was waiting, with two pipe bands. After acknowledging the crowd, The Queen and Prince Philip walked down the platform. As the train pulled away from the platform the pipe bands struck up “Cabarfeidh”, the regimental march of the Seaforth High-landers, and the pipe tune “The Black Bear”. 

From Wick, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh travelled down to Aberdeen in preparation for the next day's engagements. 

Back to May index