A best-selling artist visited the north-east at the weekend to preach in the presence of the Queen and other members of the Royal Family.
John Lowrie Morrison, popularly known as Jolomo, whose expressionist landscapes of Scotland have made him one of the country’s most popular artists, attended the service at Crathie Kirk on Saturday evening.
The picturesque village site is where the Queen worships during her holidays in the north-east.
Mr Morrison, who is a trained lay reader in the Church of Scotland and frequently preaches in Argyll, spoke ahead of the event about his delight at the invitation.
He said: “I am extremely honoured to accept this preaching date. I enjoy every opportunity to preach, and every congregation is different, but this engagement is a little bit special.
“My theme will be art, creativity and spirituality, a subject which is close to my heart.”
Previously, Mr Morrison has spoken about the fact that his paintings – and in particular his use of high-key colour – is an expression of his Christian faith.
It is not the first time he has been the guest of the Royal Family and he visited Buckingham Palace in March.
His paintings have been collected by celebrities including Madonna, Sting, Simon Le Bon and Gregor Fisher.
He trained as a painter at Glasgow School of Art and worked in art education for the next 25 years before taking up painting on a full-time basis.
Councillor Geva Blackett, who represents Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside ward, said it was great to see the Queen back in the region for the summer.
She said: “It’s always nice to see the Queen come home to Balmoral because she loves the area very much.
“It is an area where she can relax and enjoy some privacy.”
