THE Queen’s coffin will begin its journey to its final resting place when it travels from Balmoral to Edinburgh on Sunday.
Those wishing to pay tribute are expected to gather along the route as it travels to the capital – a journey which is expected to take around six hours.
On Saturday, King Charles III was formally confirmed as the nation’s new monarch during a meeting of the Accession Council.
Below is a timeline of events that are expected to take place today.
What happens today following the Queen’s death?
The cortege is expected to leave Balmoral at 10am on Sunday morning and first head to the nearby town of Ballater, where it is expected at approximately 10.12am.
Around an hour later it will arrive in Aberdeen, where tributes are expected to be paid in the city’s Duthie Park.
Travelling south along the A90, it will then arrive in Dundee about 2pm before going through Perth and then journeying to Edinburgh.
What happens when the coffin reaches the capital?
In Edinburgh, Nicola Sturgeon and other party leaders are expected to observe the coffin as it travels past the Scottish Parliament.
From there, it will be taken to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, where it should arrive by 4pm and remain for the night.
The First Minister said: “This is a chance for people to gather together publicly and begin to mark our country’s shared loss.”
She added: “We anticipate many, many people will be keen to pay their respects and we ask them to observe public safety messaging to ensure the safety of all."
What have transport bosses said?
Sturgeon’s thoughts were echoed by Transport Scotland operations manager Stein Connelly as he warned road closures on Sunday could result in delays and disruption.
He urged those planning to come and see the coffin on its journey to “please plan ahead and use public transport where possible”.
Connelly continued: “If you absolutely have to travel by car, allow extra time and only park within designated areas.
“This is an event of unprecedented scale. Even the recent COP26 gathering in Glasgow cannot match the amount of preparation and planning that has gone into this operation.”
People are being asked not to leave vehicles by the roadside, as this could pose a risk to public safety, with people instead being asked to park in designated car parks.
Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said policing has “an important role to play in the coming days”.
He said: “The loss of Her Majesty The Queen is deeply felt and policing has an important role to play in the coming days to ensure ceremonial events take place safely and with dignity.
“Our priority is public safety and we are working with partners, including the UK and Scottish Governments, as well as local authorities, to support the delivery of planned events.”
