A thriving Highland charity project that helps prepare people for work has received a Royal seal of approval.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh paid a visit to the project in Grantown on Monday, where they also called in at a bookshop and a distillery.
Several thousand well wishers gathered in the town to make Prince Edward and wife Sophie feel welcome.
Shortly after a helicopter journey from Golspie, they began a lengthy walkabout in the town’s High Street.
Their first stop was social enterprise the Grantown Remakery, which breathes life into old furniture and provides training for budding craftspeople including two pupils from Grantown Grammar.
One told STV News: “He was just watching what I was doing here with this stuff, this metal, scraping it off and putting a coat on it. That’s the one I just did.
“He really seemed like a friendly guy.”
The couple shook many hands and spoke with dozens of locals and holidaymakers over a few hours.
Isobel Little said: “I’ve always been a royalist and always will be a royalist, so it was great. We’re going to walk up and see them at the Legion.”
Next stop for the Duke and Duchess was the town’s popular bookshop The Bookmark, whose owner was delighted to show them around.
Marjory Marshall said: “We talked about books for people of different ages, things like that.
“They were very nice. He was very nice. He spoke to the children, he was lovely and she was lovely as well and she bought an ice cream next door.”
The visitors finally made time for veterans at the Royal British Legion Scotland, where they were greeted by a piper and a local Brownie pack.
The visit marked the Duke’s first full year in his new role, which he inherited from his late father.
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