Floral tributes have been piling up at the gates of Balmoral as people flock to pay their respects to Her Majesty The Queen.
Britain’s longest reigning monarch died at her Deeside home on Thursday afternoon, with mourners turning out within hours to pay their respects.
Expecting thousands more to head to Balmoral in the coming days, Aberdeenshire Council has set up a park and ride service to ease the stream of visitors.
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Books of condolences have been opened across the north and north-east and designated areas for people to lay flowers for Her Majesty have been specified.
People from all over the country paid their respects at Balmoral and spoke about what the Queen meant to them.
‘She could make you laugh’
Darren Lawrie, 48, was previously a royal guard at Balmoral who used to go out shooting with the family and shared that the late Duke of Edinburgh had the best shot.
He said: “Balmoral was their favourite place because there was no media. She came up her to die, definitely.
“She was our boss. The Queen always had an eye for detail. She never picked up on any mistakes from me but when you are on parade you had to be switched on as she knows what to look for, especially in horse guard parade.”
Today, he was joined by Andrew Christie, from the Highlanders, and Michael McNamara, from the Gordon Highlanders.
Mr Christie, 40, said the Queen used to come to balls and dance with the soldiers at the Scottish estate.
“We have friends that have danced with the Queen,” he said. “The bond with the forces and the royals go hand in hand.
“The Queen was very witty – she could make you laugh.”
Mr McNamara, 73, spoke of his time working at the Gordon Highlanders Museum where he met the new King a number of times.
He added: “He had a fantastic memory and would always remember your name and face.”
‘A bright symbol of the country’
Andriy Barkov, 51, has been living in the north-east since May after leaving his home country of Ukraine.
He has been staying with Jacob Campbell, secretary of Aberdeen Central Labour, who he made the journey to Balmoral with today.
Mr Barkov said: “I feel like a very lucky man to be in Scotland. There are wonderful, friendly people. Full of old traditions.
“The Queen I am very sympathetic towards. I don’t know much about the family, I just know that the whole world knows. The Royal Family are a bright symbol of the entire country.
“I never felt I would be able to visit Balmoral. I am sorry to be here on such a sad day.”
Mr Campbell added: “When her death was announced yesterday, he turned to me and said ‘sorry for your loss’.
“It’s history happening and you never really see it up here in the north-east.”
A ‘fundamental shift’
Fraser McInnes, 42, felt his family had a link to the Royals as his mum works as a tour guide at Dumfries House, which is owned by King Charles III’s Prince’s Foundation.
Mr McInnes travelled from Dunfermline as he felt it was something he should do.
“I dropped off some flowers earlier on just to pay respects. I came from Dunfermline this morning, it’s one of those things you just randomly feel like you have to do, you know?”, he said.
“Just to pay respect and show respect obviously with the change to the King – it’s just a fundamental shift. It’s very sad.”
Personal connection for Crathie Kirk fiddler
Fiddler Paul Anderson had a more personal connection with the Queen. He plays at Crathie Kirk and reckons he played for Her Majesty around three times this year.
“She did love Scottish music, she did love Scottish country dancing, she loved the culture here,” he said.
“She could turn on a Doric dialect very convincingly if that’s what a situation required – that’s what some of the old local boys felt comfortable speaking, and she could turn it on very easy.
“That was all about putting folk at ease so she had a keen sense of occasion and what was required at any given moment. It’s the end of an era, absolutely for sure.”
Christine Cairns, 60, also felt a connection with the Queen, but as a leader.
At the Balmoral gates, she said: “I’m here showing my respects for the death of the queen. I’ve been up to the church to pray.
“I live in Stonehaven, but I was staying over here so I wanted to get up for the family.
“She meant a lot to everybody, well to my family anyway, it feels as though we’ve lost the leader of the pack. It’s very sad.”
Overcome with emotion
Lisa Bell’s husband serves in the Royal Navy, so the family felt it was important to pay their respects to his “boss”, the Queen.
The 52-year-old said: “We’ve been on the NC500 for a week and our last stop was Aviemore and we just felt it was so close. My husband’s serving in the Royal Navy still so we just thought we had to come.
“We couldn’t pass this opportunity for such a wonderful woman, and my husbands boss basically.
Mrs Bell was shocked by how emotional she felt: “She’s fabulous – I think she’s been like everybody’s mother and grandmother and I never thought I’d get this emotional.”
Beverley Stainton from Aberdeen and her young daughter Sally also laid flowers.
Ms Stainton said it was a “particularly poignant” day for her as she recently became a British citizen.
“We just really wanted to show our respect for the queen and just recognise the beautiful life that she lived and the service that she did to the country,” she added.
“Also just to share our love and condolence with the family and recognise it’s a really sad time for them too.
“We’re originally from South Africa, but we’ve been over for a fair time now it is home for us. I feel we’re really blessed to be here.”
‘A sad sad time’
The people of Braemar have always felt close to Her Majesty, with many locals having a personal story about meeting the royals as they relaxed in the surroundings of the Cairngorms.
David McHardy, from the village, said as he visited Balmoral that it was a “sad sad time”.
“We left some flowers at the gate there. It’s a sad sad time for everybody, we thought we’d pay our last respects,” he added.
“It’s a big shock for the community and she was very well loved and liked up here – it’s not going to be the same.”
Also speaking about Her Majesty’s connection to the north-east, Julie Preston from Aboyne said: “I think the community’s going to feel it deeply, because she had such a strong affection for Balmoral and this part of Scotland in general.
“It was always lovely to see her come up here in the summer months. We’d always pop over and hope to see her on the grounds but we never did.
“She was just a normal lady, and it’s very difficult.”
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