The Princess Royal was on hand to supervise the outdoor cooking skills of the 1st Ross-Shire Rangers during a visit to a community woodland this week.
HRH visited Evanton Community Wood as part of a tour of the area, which also included a stop at Alness Academy.
The Rangers are currently working towards their Duke of Edinburgh, and told the Princess Royal about their work.
Youngsters from Evanton’s Kiltearn P7 were also in the woods to catch a glimpse of royalty – in between looking out for wildlife during a pond dipping session.
The enchanting setting is a second home to the class after having spent the last week there for an outdoor education adventure, enjoying shelter-building and making art from natural objects.
Evanton Community Wood chairman Douglas Wilson said the visit was a fantastic opportunity to highlight the sterling work of so many dedicated volunteers who have transformed the woodland over the years into an oasis for the community.
‘Our oasis through the pandemic’
Extolling the virtues of the woodland setting, which was brought into community ownership in 2012, Mr Wilson told the Princess Royal: “We are very lucky to have such a beautiful resource so close to the village, which has really helped so many people during the pandemic.”
The woodland’s lead engineer Don Fraser, engineer Alan Johnstone, project manager David Smith and committee member Patricia Snow met HRH.
She was also given a tour of one of the most popular socialising areas in the woodland, known as Mag’s Wood.