School lunch will be extra special for pupils at a Caithness primary school this week when they get to take home a piece of a Christmas cake gifted by King Charles.
Crossroads School, near Dunnet, is used to receiving a royal festive treat but this one will be the first from a reigning monarch.
The cake, festooned with Christmas gnomes, was made by Jenny Dunnet, a cook at the nearby Castle of Mey.
The royal connection was forged soon after the late Queen Mother bought the then rundown Barrogill Castle in 1952.
She used it as a summer holiday home and arranged for a Christmas cake to be dispatched to Dunnet School and, then to Crossroads, which replaced it in 1969.
The tradition was maintained by the Prince of Wales following his grandmother’s death in 2002.
The latest cake will be divvied up on Tuesday among the 10 pupils and seven youngsters at the adjoining Scallywags nursery.
Head teacher Pauline Pearson said: “The children and the staff very much appreciate the long-time connection the school has had with the Royal family.
“It is, of course, sad in a way that this has come from the King rather than Prince Charles as it reminds us of the death of the Queen.
“The cake, as always, is beautiful – Jenny always does an amazing job.”
