Below is a briefing I received yesterday evening regarding events in Edinburgh from today until Tuesday.

Members’ briefing: Her Majesty The Queen – ceremonial updates and impact on the city

Buckingham Palace has announced this afternoon (10th of Sept) that there will be a period of national mourning following Her Majesty The Queen’s death until the State Funeral on Monday 19 September.

The Queen’s cortege is due to leave Balmoral tomorrow morning (Sunday 11) and arrive at Palace of Holyroodhouse at 4pm. The King and members of the Royal Family will arrive on Monday for the Ceremony of the Keys, followed by a historic procession up the Royal Mile and a service at St Giles’ Cathedral, where the Queen will lie at rest before leaving for London late afternoon on Tuesday.

Her Majesty’s coffin will then lie at rest in St Giles’ Cathedral, guarded by Vigils from The Royal Company of Archers, to allow the people of Scotland to pay their respects. Members of the public who wish to do so will be able to view the coffin at rest from 5pm on Monday 12 September and conclude the following afternoon.

With the city centre already filling up with crowds of mourners, we’re urging people to plan ahead and avoid any non-essential travel on Sunday along the line of the cortege route as people pay their respects to Her Majesty The Queen.

Thousands are expected to gather along the route, and anyone wishing to come along is being urged to do so safely, plan ahead and allow extra time, taking account of local and city centre road closures, weather conditions and the likelihood of spending many hours at the roadside. We will continue to update our dedicated webpages with the latest advice and road closures.

Lying in Rest
Her Majesty The Queen will lie at rest at St Giles’ Cathedral following the Service before the coffin’s journey to London. Members of the public who wish to do so will be able to view the coffin at rest and pay their respects. This will begin at 5pm on Monday 12 September and conclude the following afternoon.

There is expected to be a high level of interest and a queuing system will be in place. The Scottish Government will provide further details on arrangements tomorrow.

Please be aware that this may involve standing for a number of hours in challenging weather conditions, so come prepared.

Security checks will be in place at St Giles’ and certain restrictions will apply on mobile phones. Photography /recording is not permitted.

The queue will pass a number of locations where refreshments can be bought.

Books of Condolence
We have set up both virtual and in person Books of Condolence for the public to sign.

Volunteers
The Chief Executive has issued an appeal on behalf of Police Scotland asking for volunteers for the ceremonial events taking place from tomorrow who can offer support as marshals. This isn’t a formal stewarding role as police officers and stewards will be present. The volunteers will instead provide assurance and help the public feel safe and cared for. This appeal has also been sent to partner organisations and local authorities.

Further updates
A full list of ceremonial events taking place across Scotland has been published. For the most up-to-date information, please visit our dedicated web page, the Scottish Government and Royal Household websites. The @edintravel traffic information team will be carefully monitoring the city’s roads, sharing the latest information on disruption and diversions on Twitter. Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams will be keeping people informed about their services.