THE Queen said she had an "enduring love of Scotland" after the nation voted against independence in last year's referendum poll.
And that passion will spill over when she celebrates her 90th birthday today.
Although there will be no official public celebrations in Scotland, Her Majesty will mark the momentous milestone by giving away hundreds of cupcakes at her Balmoral Estate.
Normally a chocolate or blueberry muffin, or handmade tray bakes are sold for £2.25 in the Balmoral coffee shop.
But for the Queen's birthday, it has been decided to give each visitor to the Aberdeenshire estate a special birthday cupcake.
Caterers at Balmoral - which is visited by around 70,000 in a four month season - can expect to serve over 500 free cakes on the day.
Read more: Royal children pictured with their Gan Gan as Queen celebrates 90th birthday
On the same day she will also light the first beacon in a chain which will reach the four highest peaks in the United Kingdom - including Ben Nevis.
On May 15, the Queen will be opening the gates of the 50,000-acre estate to the public for one night for free where spectators will be able to watch to watch QE90 event staged at Windsor Castle beamed live onto a giant screen in front of the castle.
More than 900 horses, musicians, dancers, actors and artists will be performing in the theatrical spectacular.
National commemorations will centre on her official birthday weekend in June with the Patron’s Lunch in the Mall, a service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral and the traditional Trooping the Colour ceremony .
There will be 9,000 guests at the sponsored street party from organisations of which the Queen is patron, with a further 1,000 paying £150-a-head .
A special exhibition of how the Royal Family spend their time at Balmoral has already begun as part of the birthday commemorations.
Visitors are now able to see for the first time how the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh enjoy their breaks at Balmoral.
The items on display at the Deeside retreat have been selected to reveal the “lighter side” of Royal life.
For the first time, the Duke of Edinburgh’s engineering design skills are to be put on display, including a 'Gun Rover' a Land Rover he adapted to keep culled grouse cool while being transported back to the game larder.
An Austin Tilly from 1945, which the Queen trained on while serving with the auxiliary territorial service – the woman's branch of the British Army - has also been loaned for the exhibition.
Read more: Scottish fashion display of Queen's dresses at Holyroodhouse
In recent months, there has been speculation that the Queen intends to spend more time in Scotland in the twilight of her life, with reports that she plans to make Balmoral her “second home”. She normally spends around 63 nights a year there.
It has been the Scottish home of the Royal Family since it was bought for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1852. The Castle is a hunting lodge, built to accommodate the needs of the Royal Family and their guests.
The Queen has continued a number of traditions at Balmoral started by her great great grandmother Queen Victoria.
These include the annual Ghillies Ball, attended by Royalty, guests, locals and staff and a visit to the Braemar Highland Gathering where the Royal Family enjoy watching events like tossing the caber, tug of war and highland dancing.
It was at Balmoral, that the Queen woke to to find 55 per cent of Scots had voted in favour of staying part of the UK and that the 307-year-old union of which she is sovereign remained unbroken.
And it was from there that she released her statement seen as part of the process of reconciliation following the heated debate by both sides during the referendum.
She said: "Now, as we move forward, we should remember that despite the range of views that have been expressed, we have in common an enduring love of Scotland, which is one of the things that helps to unite us all."
As a 27-year-old, her coronation nearly 63 years ago was a devoutly religious service in Westminster Abbey, during which she took a solemn oath to "govern the peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland".
The coronation was followed by drives through every part of London, a review of the fleet at Spithead, and visits to Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
The Queen is not just just a visitor, she has Scotland in her genes. She is descended from Mary, Queen of Scots, James I, who was James VI of Scotland, and Robert the Bruce, who secured Scotland's independence from England.
When the Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh were married in Westminster Abbey on the 20th November, 1947, the fabric for her dress was woven at Winterthur Silks Limited, Dunfermline, in the Canmore factory, using silk that had come from Chinese silkworms at Lullingstone Castle.
The newlyweds spent their wedding night at Broadlands in Hampshire, home of Prince Philip's uncle Earl Mountbatten but the second part of the honeymoon was spent at Birkhall on the Balmoral Estate.
Birkhall, the private residence of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in Scotland, is a favourite hideaway for Charles and Camilla and on occasion for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
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