Processions along the Royal Mile, an extravaganza at Meadowbank Stadium and a visit to a Craigmillar Leisure centre were on the itinerary when the Queen came to Edinburgh as part of her Silver Jubilee Tour in 1977.
We’ve delved into our Scran archives for photographs of the celebrations 45 years ago…
The Queen and Prince Philip lead the procession up the Royal Mile during their May 1977 Silver Jubilee visit to Edinburgh (© The Scotsman Publications Ltd. Licensed via Scran)
The Royals reach Edinburgh
The first half of 1977, the Queen’s 25th year on the throne, was packed with events and Royal Visits across the UK and the Commonwealth.
The Scottish leg of the tour began in Glasgow on 17 May, where the Queen attended a service in the Cathedral, took in a charity football match at Hampden Park and mingled with celebrities including the Jacksons and Dolly Parton at the King’s Theatre.
After stops in Cumbernauld, Stirling, Aberdeen, Dundee and Perth, the Royal party arrived in Edinburgh on May 22.
The Queen and Prince Philip travel up the Royal Mile in the Scottish State Coach (© The Scotsman Publications Ltd. Licensed via Scran).
Household Cavalry parade to St Giles (© The Scotsman Publications. Licensed via Scran)
The following day, the Queen took part in the Ceremony of the Keys, at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and the Order of the Thistle Service, at St Giles Cathedral.
At the former, the Lord Provost symbolically offers the keys to the city of Edinburgh to the Queen or King. The monarch returns them, declaring they are “perfectly convinced that they cannot be placed in better hands”.
The Queen and Queen Mother take part in the Order of the Thistle ceremony (© The Scotsman Publications Ltd. Licensed via Scran)
An unguarded moment during the Order of the Thistle ceremony (© The Scotsman Publications Ltd. Licensed via Scran)
A stroll through Craigmillar
On Tuesday 24, after the opening of the Church of Scotland General Assembly, the Queen took a “walkabout” in Craigmillar, a few miles south-east of the city centre.
Craigmillar residents give the Queen and Prince Philip a warm welcome during their May 1977 Silver Jubilee visit to Edinburgh (© The Scotsman Publications Ltd. Licensed via Scran)
Historically, this community was used to a royal visit or two, thanks to its medieval castle. Mary, Queen of Scots stayed twice in the 1560s, and her son, James VI, was a guest in 1589. Much later, when the castle was a romantic ruin, Queen Victoria was among the tourists paying a visit.
By the 20th century, the area would have been unrecognisable to them. The Niddrie Mains housing scheme, created in 1924, followed by the Craigmillar Estate, built in the shadow of the castle in the 1930s, made the once-rural royal retreat suburban.
Greeting by crowds of residents, the Royal Party were shown around the recently-opened Jack Kane Centre.
Children climb up Craigmillar lampposts to get a good view of the Queen (© The Scotsman Publications Ltd. Licensed via Scran)
Craigmillar residents chatting to the Queen (© The Scotsman Publications Ltd. Licensed via Scran)
The Queen and Prince Philip at the Jack Kane Centre (© The Scotsman Publications Ltd. Licensed via Scran)
Pageantry, performances and prizes
There were more cheering crowds the following day, this time at a Pageant of Scottish Youth, held at Meadowbank Stadium.
The Queen of the Duke of Edinburgh looked on from the stands, originally built for 1970 Commonwealth Games, as young people from all over Scotland showcased their talents. Later, the Queen presented prizes and chatted with some of the youngsters. That evening, she attended a performance in King’s Theatre.
The Scottish Youth Pageant gets underway at Meadowbank (© The Scotsman Publications Ltd. Licensed via Scran)
The Queen presents various awards to school children (© The Scotsman Publications Ltd. Licensed via Scran)
Edinburgh school pupils meeting the Queen
A new terminal at Turnhouse
Thursday 26 May saw what has become one of the most renowned events in the Queen’s Scottish schedule – the party in the gardens of Holyroodhouse.
Before heading south on Friday 27, there was one more ceremony for the Queen to attend: the official opening of a new terminal at Edinburgh Airport. Work on the new building had started two years earlier. The first passengers were welcomed through the doors two days after the Queen cut the ribbon.
There was time for a few final photos as the Queen (and her corgis) boarded the Royal flight and waved farewell to Auld Reekie.
An equery carries one of the Queen’s corgis onto the Royal flight at Edinburgh airport (© The Scotsman Publications Ltd. Licensed via Scran)
The Queen waves goodbye from Edinburgh Airport (© The Scotsman Publications. Licensed via Scran)
Discover more on Scran
The amazing archive photos used in this blog are from Scran, our online learning service. It contains over 400,000 images and media from museums, galleries and archives from across Scotland and beyond.
There’s LOADS to explore – just enter your search on the Scran website.
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A street party to celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee on Glenlee Gardens, Edinburgh (© The Scotsman Publications Ltd. Licensed via Scran)
Our feature image is © The Scotsman Publications Ltd and licensed via Scran.
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