Royals To Visit To Lochaber
Three areas of Lochaber are looking forward to welcoming Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh when they visit on Tuesday 5 July. Arriving in the morning at Kinlochleven, the royal couple will first visit the British Alcan Power House where they will see first hand the old and new technologies which maintain the flow of electricity to the Fort William smelter. From there they will move to the largest ice wall in Europe - the Ice Factor - where Her Majesty and His Royal Highness will view climbing demonstrations from both expert climbers and young up and coming enthusiasts.
Demonstrating the community and partnership working, there will also be displays and representatives from the Kinlochleven Land Development Trust, Community Centre, the proposed new secondary school, woodland grant scheme initiatives, the West Highland Way as well as a display of Kinlochleven as it was in the very early days. Several elderly residents will have the opportunity to talk of their memories and experiences of Kinlochleven, the Company Town.
At the Atlas Brewery, the couple will have a chance to view the fermenting process and range of beers produced by one of Scotland’s newest and smallest breweries.
Next stop is Fort William, where the royal visit continues on the Parade, at the east end of the High Street. There will be exhibitions and a chance to talk with various groups including Voluntary Action Lochaber, the Association of Lochaber Community Councils and Sea, Air and Army cadets. In addition, members of the British Legion will be present as well as representatives of those who served on the Home Front in the Second World War.
The last stop will be Glen Nevis where they will view a rescue operation from the river as well as the treatment of a mountain casualty. Young people will be demonstrating their mountain bike skills within the ‘North Shore’ demonstration area. There will also be the opportunity to hear about the work of the Nevis Partnership and the progress being made by the Outdoor Capital of the UK group. This will include presentations by the group championing the recognition of Lochaber as a European Geopark and the Lochaber Larder group.