A giant picnic will be held in one of Aberdeen’s best loved parks to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Families, friends, couples and visitors are being encouraged to take a picnic to Duthie Park on Sunday, June 5 to mark the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.
There will be live music in the bandstand, as well as children’s entertainment and sports activities.
The event is just one of the ways the city council has decided to mark the historic occasion.
On Thursday, June 2, a traditional beacon will be lit outside Marischal College on Broad Street at the same time as numerous others across the country.
A lone piper and invited dignitaries will lead the event at 9.30pm, which will be officially declared by official proclamation at the Mercat Cross just hours before, at 2pm.
As the 2,022 beacons are lit across the UK and throughout the Commonwealth a local choir will perform A Song for the Commonwealth – A Life Lived with Grace as a unique musical tribute to the Queen.
Queen has ‘special bond’ with Aberdeen
The north-east holds a special place in the Queen’s heart, as she spends her summer at Balmoral Castle in Royal Deeside.
She has also carried out numerous official openings in the Granite City itself.
Lord Lieutenant – and lord provost – Barney Crockett is hosting the Queen’s Jubilee Family Picnic, and encouraged people to take some time to celebrate the occasion.
“We are delighted to be participating in and giving the citizens of Aberdeen an opportunity to attend the celebrations to mark the historic occasion of Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee,” he said.
“Her Majesty has a genuine special bond with the city of Aberdeen and its people, and we’ve been fortunate to have had a number of visits from The Queen over the 70 years of her reign, including visits to mark all three of her previous jubilees in 1977, 2002 and 2012.
“The lighting of the official Beacon and the Queen’s Jubilee Family Picnic at Duthie Park will be a fantastic opportunity for the citizens of Aberdeen to come together as a community and celebrate this historic occasion that is sure to be remembered for years to come across the generations.”
There are other events planned to mark the jubilee, including a private service of thanksgiving on Sunday, June 12.
A commemorative tree will also be planted later this year in Hazlehead Park as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy Project later this year.
The picnic will run from 11.30am-2.30pm on June 5.