Princess Anne flew into Dingwall yesterday for a tour of the town’s academy and a local shellfish factory.
Stepping off her helicopter at the Dingwall Academy pitches, the Princess Royal was greeted by the school’s S5 and S6 pupils, who lined the route at the front of the building.
The royal visitor was accompanied by school pipers Sara Dicaro and Euan Gill, as she made her way to the academy building which opened in 2009.
She then enjoyed a tour of the school with head teacher Karen Cormack, head boy Frank Fraser and head girl Donna MacKenzie, taking in the community library, gym and social subjects department, which is supporting pupils going through their Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Princess Anne also met pupils who are being trained to carry out defibrillation.
After touring the art department and school garden, the princess planted an apple tree at the site to commemorate her visit. Following a vote of thanks by the head teacher, Princess Anne received a posy from the youngest pupil Kelsie Ross.
She then visited nearby Keltic Seafare, which supplies premium Scottish shellfish throughout the world, to present the company with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in recognition of their international trade.
She was greeted by directors Laurence Watkins and Alasdair Hughson and then taken on a tour of the factor by managing director Ben Murray.
Mr Murray said their main business was north scallops, langoustine, lobster and crab, and their main market was in France and Spain.
She also unveiled a plaque at the factory to mark her visit and Christian Forgie, Amelie Thomson and Hope Murray, who are children of the company’s senior staff, presented the princess with her second posy of the day.
The firm, which had a turnover of £5million last year, was established in 1992 and is now Scotland’s top live shellfish supplier.