queen's journey from aberdeen

In pictures: Thousands line streets as Queen's 'last great journey' begins

The Queen's coffin was taken to Scotland's capital on Sunday before being laid to rest on Monday at the St Giles' Cathedral along the Royal Mile.

By Ian Sale, news reporter

Thursday 15 September 2022 09:31, UK

Thousands of people lined the streets to bid farewell to the Queen for what the King described as her “last great journey” from Balmoral Castle.

A seven-car cortege carrying her coffin gave Scottish mourners the opportunity to pay a final tribute to the country's longest-serving monarch .

The coffin was taken on a 180-mile journey on Sunday from Balmoral in Aberdeenshire to Edinburgh's Palace of Holyroodhouse, where the crowds were 10 deep in places.

It was then laid to rest on Monday at St Giles' Cathedral.

The King led the procession behind the Queen's coffin along the Royal Mile to the cathedral for a service of thanksgiving for her life.

The Reverend Calum MacLeod told the mourners the ceremony was "Scotland's farewell to our late monarch".

Long queues form to see Queen's coffin - live updates

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In Pictures: The Queen’s Final Journey From Balmoral Has Begun

Photo: Getty

The  Queen’s coffin has left her beloved Scottish retreat Balmoral, as Britain’s longest-reigning monarch begins her final journey to Westminster Abbey for her state funeral. Three days after her death at the age of 96 on 8 September, Her Majesty’s coffin is being conveyed by road from Aberdeenshire to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, 175 miles away in Edinburgh, where it will rest in the Throne Room overnight.

It is the first part of a four-day journey to London, ahead of the Queen’s state funeral , which will be held on Monday 19 September. Mourners were lining the streets from early on Sunday morning for the chance to pay their respects, as the Queen’s last journey got underway. The hearse drove through the gates of the Scottish estate shortly after 10am, giving the public its first sighting of the monarch’s coffin. It was draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland and decorated with a simple wreath of white flowers. The wreath includes dhalias, sweet peas, phlox, white heather, and pine fir, all picked from the Balmoral Estate.

Despite the crowds gathered in Ballater, just a few miles from Balmoral, a pin-drop silence descended on the main street as Her Majesty’s hearse approached. See the procession in the pictures below.

A man sits on a bench in Ballater, Aberdeenshire, as he waits to view the Queen’s cortège.

A tribute at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on 11 September.

Members of the public gather beside a makeshift memorial in Ballater, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II’s hearse.

On Sunday September 11, the public saw the Queen’s coffin for the first time, as it was conveyed to Holyroodhouse Palace in Edinburgh.

Photo: Samir Hussein

The Queen’s coffin, draped in the Royal Standard, departs Balmoral.

The Queen’s only daughter, Princess Anne, accompanied her mother’s coffin on the first part of its journey from Balmoral.

The Queen’s hearse approaches the closest town to Balmoral.

Members of the public bow their heads as the Queen’s coffin drives past.

The crowd was silent as the cortège drove slowly through Ballater, a community with close links to the royal family.

The hearse passes by Glenmuick Church, Ballater.

Many members of the public chose to dress in black to witness the Queen’s final journey.

The simple wreath was made using flowers freshly picked from the grounds of Balmoral.

Flags are lowered as the hearse passes.

Onlookers watch as the Queen’s funeral cortège passes through Banchory, Aberdeenshire.

A car carrying the Princess Royal was among the convoy following the hearse.

Hundreds of people gathered to see the hearse.

Crowds watch as the funeral cortège makes its way over the King George VI Bridge in Aberdeen, crossing the River Dee.

Outside St Giles’s Cathedral in Edinburgh, where the Queen’s coffin will lie in state on September 12, the proclamation of the new King was taking place.

Members of the Royal Regiment of Scotland attend the proclamation of King Charles III in Edinburgh, as the Queen’s coffin was making its way to the city.

The procession makes its way over the Queensferry Crossing, which the Queen declared officially open five years ago.

Crowds lined the Royal Mile in Edinburgh on both sides to see the Queen’s coffin as it made its way to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

The procession passes Mercat Cross in Edinburgh.

Members of the public throng Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.

The Queen’s coffin arrives at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

The Princess Royal curtsies as her mother’s coffin is carried into Holyroodhouse, the monarch’s official residence in Scotland.

Originally published in Vogue.co.uk

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‘We had to be here’: crowds bid farewell to Queen on her final Scottish journey

As Queen Elizabeth II’s cortege drove from Balmoral to Edinburgh, well-wishers from near and far paid understated tribute

T he hush had settled on the waiting crowd even before the Queen’s cortege appeared over the rise in the road from Balmoral. An oblivious toddler chattered into the silence on Ballater main street, where the country’s longest-serving monarch shopped for barbecue sausages at the local butcher.

It was a typically Highland farewell to a woman those lining the village streets considered a treasured neighbour: deeply felt, but understated in its expression. There was no applause, no spontaneous chorus of anthem or hymn as the coffin passed by sedately, and all eyes were pulled to the east to follow it beyond sight. Then, as though released from a trance, the bystanders turned to nod to friends and disperse promptly, leaving behind the metal crowd barriers, taking home the weight of their loss.

The Queen began her final journey through Scotland on Sunday, passing out of the wrought-iron gates of her beloved Balmoral estate shortly after 10am, and making slow and winding progress first through the villages of Royal Deeside, then from Aberdeen down the coast past Dundee and Perth, where tens of thousands more had gathered at the side of busy carriageways. She arrived, six hours and 180 miles later, in Edinburgh to loud cheers, whoops and generous applause.

As the cortege proceeded down the east coast, the proclamation of the new king was read with ceremony in Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff, while crowds continued to flock to Buckingham Palace. King Charles and the Queen consort were greeted by thousands of cheering well-wishers as they arrived early in the afternoon to undertake official engagements with Commonwealth leaders.

In Ballater, the crowds had been gathering since before 7am, with the well-organised bringing supermarket bags of snacks and folding chairs.

Among the first to arrive in the brisk early morning chill were three generations of the Alexander family. Grandmother Elizabeth, who was born on Coronation Day and named after the Queen, had travelled from Huntly, an hour to the north, with her two daughters and three grandchildren, who clutched their union flags almost as tightly as their sharing tub of sweeties.

“The Queen has always been part of our lives, during the summer when she’s staying in Scotland,” Alexander said. “We’d often see her about locally, and the community always respected her privacy. She was so relaxed here, even in how she dressed. It felt that having her as the head of that family was a constant.”

Sitting alone on a bench by Glenmuick parish church in the centre of the village, Frank Groves was dressed in a dark suit and tie and carrying a bouquet of creamy flowers bound with a black ribbon. The 70-year-old had driven from the fishing village of Cruden Bay on the north-east coast to Ballater, which he often visited with his wife, Jeanette, after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Inevitably, this collective grief sharpens his own loss from seven years before.

“From when I was born, the Queen was there; when I went to school, got married, and when my wife passed, she was there. She almost feels like a distant relative.”

Seeing the coffin go past was “the culmination of sadness”, Groves observed. “But you need that to move on. Britain won’t be the same without her.”

Following the coffin in convoy to Edinburgh were the Queen’s daughter, the Princess Royal, her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, a representative of the Lord Chamberlain’s Office and the minister of Crathie Kirk, the small granite church where the Queen worshipped every Sunday during her annual summer holidays in the Highlands.

Onlookers saw the coffin draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland. Set on top of the brightly coloured cloth was a wreath of flowers gathered from Balmoral estate: white heather and pine fir entwined with sweetpeas, one of the Queen’s favourite flowers.

“I was worried folk might start clapping or throwing flowers,” said Elsbeth Henry, who had come with her friend Isa McLeod from the coastal town of Lossiemouth that morning. “But it was very respectful, exactly as she would have wished.”

She paused to collect herself. “It was very emotional, though. I wish I could say more, but I can’t find the words.

“It would have been her wish to die here,” McLeod added gently. “This was where she had her freedom; she could breathe up here.”

From Ballater, the cortege travelled eastwards along the winding A93 through a succession of villages – Aboyne, Banchory and Peterculter – where locals similarly greeted the cars with affectionate understatement, the occasional smattering of applause and a few flowers thrown along the route. Some had come in full mourning dress, some wearing kilts or military uniform, others in more practical outdoor wear of the kind favoured by the Queen when she holidayed here.

From this rural approach, the convoy reached the A90, a dual carriageway leading the cortege south, passing Dundee and then Perth, where the crowds thickened in the early afternoon sunshine.

As the convoy reached larger roads, so the size and mood of the onlookers swelled too; in Dundee, cars halted on the opposite carriageway to observe the cortege passing, and by the time it reached Edinburgh, crowds who had been packed deep for many hours loudly celebrated its arrival.

But all along the route, every news organisation reported the same simple explanation: “We had to be here. She was our queen.”

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And there in the cobbled streets of Scotland’s capital, from midday the international crowds were tightly packed. The numbers on the Royal Mile were, everyone agreed, the densest and deepest the Royal Mile had ever seen, and more than were present for the opening of the Scottish parliament in 1999.

When the procession reached its destination of Edinburgh’s Palace of Holyroodhouse, after more than six hours, the Queen’s children and their spouses – the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke of York and the Earl and Countess of Wessex – watched as soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland carried the coffin into the palace. In a touching gesture, deference to the monarch was still observed, with the royal women curtseying and the men bowing their heads.

Everywhere there was friendliness, people making new acquaintances, tourists being told where they should go to eat or drink. Even those caught out by the many road closures, unable to get home, took things in their stride. The police presence was high but amiable.

Adriana De La Torre, 40, an attorney from Orlando, Florida, bagged herself a good Royal Mile spot for the day’s events because she wanted to see history.

“I’m a big fan of the royals. We don’t have this kind of unifying figure in the States who everyone rallies around, you just have the two parties. Her dedication to service is outstanding and it is something to celebrate.”

Edinburgh will remain the focus of royal events until the Queen’s coffin is flown to London from the city’s airport on Tuesday, as Operation Unicorn, the codename for the contingency plans should the Queen die in Scotland, continues.

On Monday, King Charles III will embark on a tour of all four nations of the UK, first travelling to Edinburgh, where he will accompany the Queen’s coffin as it travels by procession to St Giles’ Cathedral to lie in rest for 24 hours. Members of the public will be able to view her coffin there.

The King will then return to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where he will have an audience with Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, and later attend the Scottish parliament, where they will receive a motion of condolence.

In the evening, King Charles will hold a vigil with members of the royal family at St Giles’ Cathedral.

Back in Ballater, the parish minister, Rev David Barr, contemplated the Queen’s special affinity with his village. “When she moved through those gates, she became a wife, a mother, then a grandmother, not the Queen any more. Even as a child she had that freedom; she could play with her wee sister and their ponies and not worry about cameras or intrusion. They could be children, and that feeling stuck with her.”

The privacy that allows such unique freedom is what locals here so fiercely guard. Even in the midst of national upheaval and international focus, in Ballater restraint is uppermost: “She’s our neighbour – so we don’t talk about her,” one man said on the eve of the cortege, with a polite shake of the head.

“We have had such an honour to be her neighbours,” Barr said. “But she was more than a neighbour; she was a constant. And in thanks for that service, the little thing we could do was to extend that normality to the local village.”

Surveying the thronging world media, he added: “We’ll speak more now, but in a few week’s time, come up and ask me if I’ve seen a member of the royal family. Even with my dog collar on, even if I’ve spoken to one five minutes ago, I’ll lie through my teeth.”

• Queen Elizabeth II

Most viewed

Queen Elizabeth's final route to Edinburgh REVEALED and the best places to see her

Plans for the Queen's final journey through the beautiful Scottish countryside have been finalised with villagers in line to see the convoy first-hand.

• 17:00, 10 SEP 2022
• Updated 17:18, 10 SEP 2022

Queen Elizabeth will make one final journey through the Highlands when she is transported from her Balmoral Estate to the Palace of Holyroodhouse on Sunday.

The monarch's coffin is expected to be taken along the stunning A93 countryside road between Aberdeenshire and Edinburgh for a service at St Giles Cathedral on Monday where she will lie in state for 24 hours.

At 10am, she is expected to leave Balmoral and the route will go through Ballater. She will then reach Ballater where the car will stop as part of a short ceremony in the town famed for its connections to the Royal family.

READ MORE: Charles III performs oath for key Scottish role as he is proclaimed King

10:12 Ballater

This will be attended by the Lord Lieutenants of Aberdeenshire, as well as senior officers and Councillors.

After leaving Balmoral Castle the Royal cortege will pass along the A93, reaching Ballater for the Aberdeenshire tribute at 10:12am.

Best positions are likely to be in Aboyne, Banchory and Drumoak on pavement areas. Stewards will guide members of the public at settlements along the route.

The car will then pass along the banks of the River Dee and Crathie Kirk where the Queen worshipped while staying in Scotland.

From there, the cortege will drive through Aboyne, Kincardine O'Neil, Banchory, Crathes and Crathes castle and on to Peterculter before heading on into Aberdeen.

11:20 Aberdeen

The Lord Provost of Aberdeen in his role as Lord-Lieutenant will lead a tribute joined by civic dignitaries from Aberdeen including Deputy Lieutenants, Council Leaders, other elected members, and the council Chief Executive.

The cortege will follow the A93 and enter Aberdeen at around 11:00am, following North Deeside Road and then travelling through Cults.

It will proceed along Great Western Road, Holburn Street and Great Southern Road passing Duthie Park.

There will be two positions for public viewing at Duthie Park. Members of the public have been invited to pay their respects at the ceremony at Great Southern Road by Duthie Park or on a footpath along the route.

Temporary road restrictions will be in place from 06:00am the day of the event.

14:15 Dundee

Civic dignitaries from across Tayside and Fife, including Lord Lieutenants, Lord Provost, Provosts, council leaders, other elected members and council chief executives, will stand on a dais just prior to the cortege leaving the city.

The cortege will follow the A90 to Dundee, arriving at the boundary around 14:00, before proceeding west on the Kingsway to the Swallow roundabout.

Media and public viewing areas are along the A90 Forfar Road and Kingsway. There are numerous safe standing areas along both sides of the A90 and Kingsway.

There will be rolling road closures along the route and very limited additional parking. Stewards will guide members of the public to parking sites and safe standing areas.

15:30 Edinburgh

The vehicle is expected to arrive in Edinburgh at around 3.30pm where First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and party leaders are invited to view the coffin at the Scottish parliament.

Numerous road closures are already in place across central Edinburgh in preparation for the scenes of mourning that will take place over the coming days.

Although a heavy police presence is guaranteed, people in towns and villages along the route will be afforded a sight they are unlikely to forget for as long as they live.

Queen Elizabeth II will make her final journey from Scotland to London on Tuesday when she travels to London and to Buckingham Palace before her state funeral in the coming weeks.

It is expected that her coffin will be flown to London. The Queen often spoke of her love for Scotland and the country's famous Highland landscape.

In 2021, the monarch attended the Scottish Parliament's opening ceremony without Prince Philip, who died earlier in the year aged 99, for the first time.

She said: "I have spoken before of my deep and abiding affection for this wonderful country and of the many happy memories Prince Philip and I always held of our time here.

"It is often said that it is the people that make a place and there are few places where this is truer than it is in Scotland, as we have seen in recent times."

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Her Majesty The Queen

Journey to commence tomorrow.

Her Majesty The Queen’s journey to Edinburgh will begin tomorrow, Sunday 11 September, with an official cortege from Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Her Majesty’s coffin will leave Balmoral at 10am to be brought by road to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where it will remain before Lying at Rest on Monday at St Giles’ Cathedral.

To minimise disruption as the convoy makes the journey from Balmoral to Edinburgh and to allow those who wish to pay their respects to do so safely, there will be designated viewing locations along the route. These will be at Ballater, Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh (further details below). 

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:

“Her Majesty’s death at Balmoral Castle means Scotland has lost one of its most dedicated and beloved servants. The grief we have seen across the world has been profound and deeply touching. It will be especially poignant to see Her Majesty’s coffin begin its journey from her Aberdeenshire home to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. 

“This is a chance for people to gather together publicly and begin to mark our country’s shared loss. We anticipate many, many people will be keen to pay their respects and we ask them to observe public safety messaging to ensure the safety of all.”

There will be temporary closures of laybys and access roads along the route the convoy will travel. Transport networks are likely to be busy and delays are expected along the route. Regular traffic reports will be provided via Traffic Scotland and travel bulletins on TV and radio.

For safety reasons, those wishing to leave floral tributes are asked to do so at designated areas along the route and mourners have been requested not to throw flowers at the convoy as it passes.

Timings below are indicative and may be amended depending on the progress of the cortege.

Aberdeenshire event

After leaving Balmoral Castle the Royal cortege will pass along Deeside, reaching Ballater just after 10am for the Aberdeenshire tribute, attended by the Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire, as well as senior officers and councillors. 

It will then travel along the A93, through Aboyne, Banchory and Drumoak. People wishing to see the cortege are asked to stand where it is safe to do so at these locations and when it passes again through Aberdeenshire as it moves south on the A90. Settlements along the corridor will also be stewarded.

Aberdeen event

The cortege will follow the A93 and enter Aberdeen at around 11am, following North Deeside Road and then travelling through Cults. It will proceed along Great Western Road to its junction with Holburn Street, passing Duthie Park, South Anderson Drive.

The Lord Provost of Aberdeen, in his role as Lord-Lieutenant, will lead a tribute at Duthie Park at around 11:20am, joined by civic dignitaries from Aberdeen including Deputy Lieutenants, Council Leaders, other elected members and the council Chief Executive.

Members of the public are invited to pay their respects at the ceremony at Duthie Park, or at the south-western corner of the junction with Great Western Road, Willowbank Road and Holburn Street and on footpaths along the route. Disabled viewing will be at the junction of Allenvale Road and Great Southern Road.

Temporary road restrictions will be in place from 6am, the day before the event. Temporary toilets for public use will be located at the main event arena. 

Dundee event

The cortege will follow the A90 to Dundee, arriving at the boundary around 2pm, before proceeding west on the Kingsway to the Swallow roundabout.

Members of the public are being invited to pay their respects in standing areas along the A90 Forfar Road and Kingsway.

Civic dignitaries from across Tayside and Fife, including Lord-Lieutenants, Lord Provost, Provosts, Council Leaders, other elected members and council Chief Executives will pay their own respects from a dais prior to the cortege leaving the city.

There will be rolling road closures along the route and very limited additional parking. Stewards will guide members of the public to parking sites and safe standing areas.

Edinburgh event

All the pavements along the route in Edinburgh will be lined with barriers to allow the public to view from there. The Edinburgh route will stretch from north of the city to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Members of the public are asked to check Transport Scotland, Aberdeenshire Council , Aberdeen City Council, Dundee City Council and The City of Edinburgh Council for local route advice and further safety messaging before leaving home.

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Full times & details of Queen’s final journey from Balmoral to Edinburgh confirmed – as public to pay their respects

• Zoe Phillips
• Published : 17:19, 10 Sep 2022
• Updated : 17:19, 10 Sep 2022

DETAILS of the Queen's final journey through Scotland can now be revealed - and the public are encouraged to pay their final respects.

Her Majesty 's coffin will travel in a hearse from Royal Deeside to The Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh tomorrow.

There will be opportunities for the public to view the Royal Hearse and pay their respects at civic events as it passes through Aberdeenshire , Aberdeen, and Dundee.

The cortege will travel from Balmoral on the A93 to Aberdeen, then North Deeside Road, Holburn Street, and Great Southern Road past Duthie Park, and then to Dundee and Edinburgh via the A92 and the A90.

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Public viewing facilities will be available at the following locations:

10:00 - Ballater event

After leaving Balmoral Castle the Royal cortege will pass along the A93, reaching Ballater for the Aberdeenshire tribute at 10:12am. This will be attended by the Lord Lieutenants of Aberdeenshire, as well as senior officers and Councillors.

The best positions are likely to be in Aboyne, Banchory and Drumoak on pavement areas. Stewards will guide members of the public at settlements along the route.

11:20 - Aberdeen event

The cortege will follow the A93 and enter Aberdeen at around 11:00am, following North Deeside Road and then travelling through Cults. It will proceed along Great Western Road, Holburn Street and Great Southern Road passing Duthie Park.

The Lord Provost of Aberdeen in his role as Lord-Lieutenant will lead a tribute joined by civic dignitaries from Aberdeen including Deputy Lieutenants, Council Leaders, other elected members, and the council Chief Executive.

Members of the public have been invited to pay their respects at the ceremony at Great Southern Road by Duthie Park or on a footpath along the route.

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14:15 - dundee event.

The cortege will follow the A90 to Dundee, arriving at the boundary around 14:00, before proceeding west on the Kingsway to the Swallow roundabout.

Public viewing areas are along the A90 Forfar Road and Kingsway.

There are numerous safe standing areas along both sides of the A90 and Kingsway.

Civic dignitaries from across Tayside and Fife, including Lord Lieutenants, Lord Provost, Provosts, council leaders, other elected members and council chief executives, will stand on a dais just prior to the cortege leaving the city.

There will be rolling road closures along the route and very limited additional parking. Stewards will guide members of the public to parking sites and safe standing areas.

Edinburgh event

All the pavements along the route in Edinburgh will be lined with barriers to allow the public to view from there. The Edinburgh route will stretch from north of the city to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

'Unprecedented scale'

Preparations for the Queen's cortege travelling by road from Balmoral on Sunday "does not match" the level of preparation that went into COP26 , transport bosses have said.

Traffic Scotland operation manager, Stein Connelly said events across Scotland tomorrow are on an "unprecedented scale".

Mr Connelly paid his respects to the late Queen, who died on Thursday afternoon at Balmoral, recalling fond memories of her opening the Queensferry Crossing and the Borders Railway.

He said: "First and foremost I would like to express our deepest condolences on behalf of everyone at Transport Scotland and Traffic Scotland to the Royal Family.

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"Many of us had the pleasure of meeting Her Majesty at the Queensferry Crossing opening and new Borders Railways events and we were always impressed with her knowledge and kind manner.

"This is an event of unprecedented scale. Even the recent Cop26 gathering in Glasgow cannot match the amount of preparation and planning that has gone into this operation."

• Royal Family

The Queen's final route in Scotland as she travels through Aberdeen towards Edinburgh

The route will gives mourners an opportunity to pay their respects as the Queen travels through the Granite City on her way to the capital

• 17:50, 10 SEP 2022
• Updated 18:03, 10 SEP 2022

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The Queen will make her final journey from Balmoral on Sunday (September 11) as her cortège is set to travel through the north-east on its way to Edinburgh, it has been announced.

Departing Balmoral at 10am, the cortège will make its way towards Aberdeen , before travelling towards Stonehaven and through Aberdeenshire.

The cortège will then make its way through Angus and Tayside, before turning towards Perth and then south across the Queensferry Crossing and into Edinburgh.

READ MORE: Aberdeen flag returns to full mast as Charles III publicly proclaimed king

She will then lie at rest overnight in the Palace of Holyrood house in the capital.

Due to pass through Ballater shortly after 10am, a tribute will be held with the Lord Lieutenants of Aberdeenshire, Kincardineshire, Banffshire, their Deputies and Aberdeenshire Council elected members will be gathering at roadside at Glen Muick Parish Church.

There they will pay their respects as the coffin passes, with several dignitaries remaining in place until the proclamation of the King takes place shortly after 12:30pm.

The Queen's cortège will pass through a number of Aberdeenshire towns including: Ballater, Dinnet, Aboyne, Kincardine O'Neil, Banchory and Drumoak.

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It will then pass onto the A90 to head southbound en route to Edinburgh, as members of the public are urged to take caution and only use a safe vantage point.

Stein Connelly, Transport Scotland operator manager, said: "Even the recent COP26 gathering in Glasgow cannot match the amount of preparation and planning that has gone into this operation.

"Every effort will be made to minimise disruption to the travelling public, but significant delays are expected. There will be an enormous influx of people into Edinburgh, Dundee, Perth wanting to stand to see the cortege passing.

"Check the route and if you want to travel to a suitable location to show your respects then plan ahead, make sure you give plenty of time for your journey and make sure it is safe where you are going."

Dep Ch Con Malcolm Graham said: "We understand that the public will want to show their respects to Her Majesty and we would urge them to do so safely.

"If you are attending to view the Queen's cortege, please do not leave your vehicle at the side of the road as this poses a risk to public safety. Please only park in designated areas and follow the directions of stewards and police officers.

"We would also urge people not to stand in unsafe areas and to keep off the carriageway at all times. There will be rolling road closures along the route.

"Other roads close to the route are expected to be significantly affected as large numbers of people from across Scotland and beyond come to pay their respects."

Where mourners can pay their respects in the north-east

Timings below are indicative and may be amended depending on the progress of the cortege.

After leaving Balmoral Castle the Royal cortege will pass along Deeside, reaching Ballater just after 10am for the Aberdeenshire tribute, attended by the Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire, as well as senior officers and councillors.

It will then travel along the A93, through Aboyne, Banchory and Drumoak. People wishing to see the cortege are asked to stand where it is safe to do so at these locations and when it passes again through Aberdeenshire as it moves south on the A90. Settlements along the corridor will also be stewarded.

The cortege will follow the A93 and enter Aberdeen at around 11am, following North Deeside Road and then travelling through Cults. It will proceed along Great Western Road to its junction with Holburn Street, passing Duthie Park, South Anderson Drive.

The Lord Provost of Aberdeen, in his role as Lord-Lieutenant, will lead a tribute at Duthie Park at around 11:20am, joined by civic dignitaries from Aberdeen including Deputy Lieutenants, Council Leaders, other elected members and the council Chief Executive.

Members of the public are invited to pay their respects at the ceremony at Duthie Park, or at the south-western corner of the junction with Great Western Road, Willowbank Road and Holburn Street and on footpaths along the route. Disabled viewing will be at the junction of Allenvale Road and Great Southern Road.

Temporary road restrictions will be in place from 6am, the day before the event. Temporary toilets for public use will be located at the main event arena.

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Queen's final journey from Scotland: Updates as RAF plane carrying monarch's coffin arrives in London

Queen Elizabeth II's coffin had been on display at St Giles' Cathedral in the capital since yesterday, and is being moved to Westminster.

• Updated 19:11, 13 SEP 2022

Queen Elizabeth II left Scotland for the final time this afternoon, as her coffin began its journey from Edinburgh to London . The monarch passed away aged 96 at Balmoral last Thursday.

At the weekend, her body was taken by hearse from the royal residence to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in the capital. On Monday, King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla arrived in Scotland as the country prepared to say a final farewell to her Majesty.

The coffin was driven from Holyroodhouse to St Giles' Cathedral through the streets of Edinburgh, with her children walking behind the hearse. The Queen is lying in state at the cathedral.

King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward all stood around it yesterday evening as mourning members of the public passed by.

Thousands of people queued for hours to pay their respects, with St Giles' Cathedral open overnight and hourly trains put on between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Today, the Queen made her final journey from Scotland.

A number of roads were closed to the public to allow for the cortege to make the journey to Edinburgh Airport. After arriving in London by plane, Queen Elizabeth II will now lie in state at Westminster Hall, with the public able to pass the coffin, before her funeral on Monday, September 19 .

Follow along for all updates on this historic day.

• Queen arrives in London 19:00
• Princess Royal's tribute to Queen 18:24
• Queen leaves Scotland for last time 17:57

Queen arrives in London

The Queen's coffin has arrived in London after Her Majesty left Scotland for the very last time.

The Royal Air Force C17 Globemaster aircraft carrying the Queen's coffin has touched down RAF Northolt after leaving Edinburgh Airport at around 5.45pm. Members of the Guard of Honour assembled on the airfield at RAF Northolt ahead of the arrival of the Queen. The guard is formed of three officers and 96 non-commissioned officers and gunners of The Queen's Colour Squadron.

They will transfer the coffin to the official hearse, which will take the Queen to Buckingham Palace ahead of her funeral on Monday.

READ MORE: Queen's coffin arrives in London after making final journey from Scotland

First Minister pays tribute to 'Queen of Scots'

Scotland has said a "sad but fond farewell" to the Queen, Nicola Sturgeon said.

The First Minister paid tribute to the "Queen of Scots" after the RAF plane bearing the coffin of Elizabeth II left Edinburgh Airport.

Her body was being flown to RAF Northolt and will then be taken to Buckingham Palace in London.

Speaking about the Queen, who died at Balmoral Castle on Thursday, Ms Sturgeon said: "We will not see her like again."

Ms Sturgeon, together with Scottish Secretary Alister Jack, was on the tarmac at Edinburgh Airport to see the Queen leave Scotland for the final time.

Princess Royal's tribute to Queen

The Princess Royal, who is accompanying the Queen’s coffin on the journey from Scotland to London, has issued a statement paying tribute to her late mother, saying: “It has been an honour and a privilege to accompany her on her final journeys.”

Dignitaries at Edinburgh airport

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish Secretary Alister Jack were at the airport as the coffin carrying Queen Elizabeth II was carried on to the RAF plane.

Scottish Parliament Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone and Police Scotland Chief Constable Iain Livingstone were also amongst the dignitaries present.

Queen leaves Scotland for last time

The Queen has left Scotland for the last ever time after the flight carrying her coffin took off from Edinburgh Airport.

Her Majesty's coffin had been on display at St Giles’ Cathedral in the capital over night as thousands queued to walk past and pay their respects.

Pictures showed the coffin arriving at the airport before Her Majesty was placed on a Royal Air Force C17 Globemaster, heavy lift aircraft, which sat on the tarmac.

Further images showed the flight taking off on its journey down to RAF Northolt, as the Queen left the country for the last ever time.

READ MORE: Queen's coffin leaves Scotland as RAF aircraft departs Edinburgh Airport

Royal cortege arrives at airport

Queen's coffin arrives at Edinburgh Airport

The Queen has left Edinburgh for the last time as Her Majesty makes her way to her final resting place in Windsor.

Thousands of mourners up and down the country have paid their respects to the late monarch fondly known as the 'Queen of Scots' since her passing at Balmoral on Thursday, September 8.

Crowds gathered once more to catch a final glimpse of their Queen they have known for so long on the Royal Mile. Many visibly shed a tear as her coffin travelled up the old cobble steps of the old city she had visited so many times.

Images then showed the cortege arriving at Edinburgh Airport at around 5.10pm.

READ MORE: Queen leaves Edinburgh for last time as mourners line streets for coffin's departure

Minister of St Giles' Cathedral speaks of pride

The minister of St Giles' Cathedral in Scotland has said it was a "great honour" to speak "on behalf of the nation" at the Queen's thanksgiving service.

The Rev Calum MacLeod told of his pride in playing a role in recognising Elizabeth II's 70 years of service at the ancient cathedral in Edinburgh on Monday.

The royal cortege makes its way to Edinburgh Airport

Spectators clapped as the Queen's coffin was driven in a hearse away from St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh.

The late monarch had been laid to rest in the Scottish capital for the last 24 hours to allow members of the public to pay their respects.

The royal cortege is now making its way to Edinburgh Airport for the Queen to be flown to London.

The sound of pipes filled the streets as a band paraded up to Edinburgh Castle shortly after the Queen's departure.

The Queen's coffin leaves Edinburgh

Charles and Camilla leave Belfast

The King and the Queen Consort have departed Belfast City Airport and are returning to London ahead of the arrival of the Queen’s coffin in the capital later this evening.

Crowds gather for Queen's departure

Well-wishers were massing on the Royal Mile ahead of its planned move from the historic building, accompanied by Princess Anne. Many were trying to take up good vantage points opposite the cathedral doors in time for the coffin emerging at 4.30pm.

Former Scottish rugby international and British Lion Scott Hastings was among the last mourners to be able to pay their respects.

Scott said his brother Gavin, 60, a fellow Scottish international and British Lion, filed past the coffin after queuing at 5am on Tuesday.

READ MORE: 'Emotional' crowds gather at St Giles Cathedral as Queen's coffin set to leave Edinburgh

King Charles III leaves Scotland

Earlier today, King Charles III was spotted at Edinburgh Airport before heading to Northern Ireland.

Queen's state funeral explained

The Queen's state funeral is to take place on Monday, September 19, in a grand procession that will honour the UK's longest serving monarch. Since the news of her passing on Thursday, September 8, detailed plans have been put into action leading up to the ceremony.

Her Majesty's coffin has been at St Giles's Cathedral in Edinburgh since Monday afternoon and will soon be transported to London . The Queen will then lie in state at Westminster Hall until the morning of her funeral.

A state funeral is a rare honour and is mostly reserved for the sovereign. The only monarch not to be given a state funeral in the last 295 years was Edward VIII, who abdicated.

State funerals are publicly funded and are the responsibility of the Earl Marshal and the College of Arms. These large-scale events observe strict rules of protocol, held to honour people of national significance.

Read more HERE.

Thousands lined Edinburgh streets to pay respects

Yesterday, the body of Queen Elizabeth II was driven from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles' Cathedral, where it lay in state. A remembrance service took place following the emotional procession, which was led by King Charles III.

The King was joined by his siblings Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and other members of the Royal Family. Thousands lined the streets of Edinburgh as the procession made its way up the Royal Mile.

To see more pictures of the historic moment, click HERE .

Queue to see Queen's coffin now closed

The queue to visit the Queen's coffin at St Giles' Cathedral has now closed, the Scottish Government has confirmed. Mourners have been urged not to attempt to join the queue. Over 26,000 people have already passed through St Giles' to see the Queen's coffin. The Scottish Government hope that all within the queue currently will get to see Queen Elizabeth II lying in state before 3pm.

Where and when to see plane carrying Queen

The Queen's coffin is set to be flown across Scotland later today - and you may be able to spot it as it makes its final journey to London.

The Queen's coffin is being flow from Edinburgh to RAF Northolt in London ahead of a final vigil at Westminster Hall. The flight will be accompanied by the Queen's daughter, Princess Anne.

There is no set flightpath between Edinburgh and London, and air traffic or weather may cause the plane to divert, so there are several routes the plane carrying Her Majesty could take.

One involves the aircraft flying above over Brownhills towards Sutton Coldfield as it makes its way to London The second possible path would see the plane soaring above Leicester and down towards Northampton.

Read more HERE .

Princess Anne to accompany Queen

The Queen’s coffin will be flown from Edinburgh to Buckingham Palace today with Princess Anne expected to accompany the Monarch for her final journey.

Thousands gathered today in the capital to pay their respects before the late Queen is moved from St Giles’ Cathedral to Edinburgh Airport on Tuesday afternoon. From there, her coffin will be transported on a Royal Air Force plane to RAF Northolt in London.

The public are expected to stand by as the cortege passes, before the Queen is taken to Buckingham Palace in a state hearse to rest in the Bow Room at the palace.

Details of the Queen's final journey

Details of the route the Queen's coffin will take as it leaves Scotland for the last time have been revealed. Elizabeth II is lying in state at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, and council leader Cammy Day said the city would "look back with immense pride" at the role it has played since the Queen's death.

The Scottish capital has been packed with mourners, with thousands lining its historic streets to see the coffin arrive on Sunday, and then again on Monday when there was a service of thanksgiving at St Giles'.

After 3pm today, the Queen will make her way through the streets of Edinburgh for the last time, heading to Edinburgh Airport to be flown to London.

For full details of the route and information on road closures in the capital, click HERE .

Good afternoon and welcome

Good afternoon and welcome to today's coverage of the Queen's final journey from Scotland.

We will keep you updated with all the events of this historic day as Queen Elizabeth II travels from Edinburgh to London for the last time.

• Royal Family
• The Queen's Funeral
• King Charles III
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Queen Sofía Is Hospitalized, But Her Son King Felipe Says "She Is Very Well"

The 85-year-old former queen of Spain was admitted to a Madrid hospital earlier this week.

Queen Sofía is currently in the hospital, but her son King Felipe says she is doing well.

The 85-year-old former queen of Spain was admitted to a hospital in Madrid, the Ruber International Clinic, on Tuesday evening for a urinary tract infection. On Wednesday, Felipe visited his mother, driving himself to the hospital.

Queen Sofía's last public appearance was just a day before she was hospitalized, when she attended a funeral mass in honor of her nephew, Fernando Gómez-Acebo, who passed away on March 1 at the age of 49. And, this past weekend, she was at the wedding of the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, and Teresa Urquijo, the granddaughter of Princess Teresa of Bourbon-Two Sicilies,

Also in attendance at the funeral mass on Monday was Sofía's husband, former King Juan Carlos . Since 2020, the former Spanish king has been living in self-imposed exile in the United Arab Emirates, but has traveled back to Spain on numerous occasions. Queen Sofía remained living in Spain.

Juan Carlos and Sofía married in 1962, and have three children: Infanta Elena, Infanta Cristina, and King Felipe VI.

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma , a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram .

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