Caithness gets set to celebrate coronation of King Charles III
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A street party is to be held in Thurso at the weekend to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III.
The event is to be staged in the town precinct on Sunday, the day after the coronation at Westminster Abbey.
There will be "lots of activities going on", according to Thurso Community Council treasurer Elspeth Husband, who has helped organise the party.
She said there will be pipe and brass bands as well as Highland dancers and street dancers, while charities and community groups will be in attendance to highlight what they do. Bunting will be hung up to add to the atmosphere.
The community council gave its backing to the event which will run from 2pm to 4pm.
It will be one of a number of celebrations taking place in Caithness, with others planned at Wick, Halkirk, Dunbeath and Berriedale and Castletown.
The one in Castletown will be similar to the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee last summer but on a smaller scale. It is understood a coronation display will also be held at Castlehill Heritage Centre on the outskirts of the village.
At Dunbeath and Berriedale, activities have been arranged for all ages, ranging from a children's party to a tea dance, as well as local walks and an exhibition at Dunbeath Heritage Centre featuring royal photos and memorabilia and an exhibition of local primary school pupils' artwork. The events started on Monday.
Meanwhile, to celebrate the coronation, a soup and sandwich lunch is being held in Canisbay church hall from noon to 2pm on Monday.
Thurso West Church will be marking the occasion with a fundraising coffee morning. The Coffee, Cake and Chat event will take place on Monday, from 10am to noon.
The plan is to offer coffee, cake and a chance for a chat, with a donation box for a local project – bird boxes in the Castle of Mey gardens.
The coronation of Charles III and his wife Camilla takes place on Saturday, May 6. Charles acceded to the throne on September 8 last year, on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who was monarch for 70 years.
The coronation is to undergo some alterations to represent multiple faiths, cultures, and communities across the UK, and will be shorter than Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953.
Camilla will be crowned in a short and simple ceremony. Afterwards, the royal family will travel to Buckingham Palace in a state procession and appear on the balcony to celebrate the occasion.
It will be the first coronation of a British monarch to occur in the 21st century and the 40th to be held at Westminster Abbey since 1066.
