SHE has reportedly spent some of her happiest moments on the waters of Scotland, cruising round the isles enjoying a rare break from the grind of public life.
And it was to the sea that The Queen returned when she and her party were most recently looking for some privacy.
Diners at Fingal, a floating hotel in berthed on Edinburgh, were "surprised and delighted" when the Queen stopped by for dinner on Saturday night.
Fingal has been converted into a floating hotel
A former service ship for the Northern Lighthouse Board, which has now been converted to accommodate guests, Fingal sits in the shadow of the Royal Yacht Britannia and is owned by the same company.
The backdrop is sure to have delighted the Queen, a frequent passenger on Britannia before it was taken out of service in 1997 - and event said to have caused her Majesty to shed a tear at the decommissioning ceremony.
Fingal Chief Executive, Bob Downie said: "Whilst further details will remain private, we can confirm that on Saturday night Her Majesty The Queen had dinner in Fingal’s Lighthouse Bar, much to the surprise and delight of our staff and the other diners in the restaurant."
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For many years The Queen enjoyed cruises on the Royal Yacht, especially around the Western Isles during her annual Scottish holiday.
The journey would culminate with a voyage along the northern coast of Scotland, past her mother's holiday home at the Castle of Mey just west of John O'Groats, before finally landing at Aberdeen, from where the Queen would travel inland to her estate at Balmoral.
In 2006 she raised eyebrows by returning to her favourite holidaying places aboard the Hebridean Princess, a former car ferry which plied the Oban to Mull crossing and has now been converted into a luxury mini-liner.
The Hebridean Princess
The Royal Household were reported to have paid around £125,000 for an eight day cruise taking in spots such as the remote island of Colonsay, Scarista on Harris in the Outer Hebrides, and Calleruish on North Uist, the ancestral homes of her Granville cousins during a trip said to be an 80th birthday present for the monarch.
It must have lived up to expectations, as the vessel was summoned into royal service again in 2010 when it was privately chartered by the Queen at a reputed cost of around £200,000.
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It was reported that the vessel was to be used as the venue for a family celebration of the 60th birthday (in August) of the Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, and the 50th birthday of the Duke of York, Prince Andrew.
The Queen followed her Saturday night dinner with a Sunday morning service at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, attending inside for around an hour,before speaking with some members of the congregation inside.
Reverend Neil Gardner walked with the Queen as she departed the Kirk just after midday.
The Queen aboard Britannia in 1972
The visit to Scotland was part of a week-long programme of engagements, meeting Scots from across the country.
Speaking at the Scottish Parliament on Saturday to mark its 20th anniversary, the Queen, accompanied by Prince Charles - who is known in Scotland as the Duke of Rothesay - said that she had watched the country grow and prosper during the past two decades.
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Current and former MSPs were present for the speech, along with some of the Scots who were born on 1st July 1999 - the day the Scottish Parliament was officially opened.
In her speech, the Queen said: "As we look to the future, it is my sincere hope that this Parliament, and all those who come to serve in it, will use the power of this chamber to celebrate those invisible pillars of our communities, and follow their example by working tirelessly to improve people's lives, and strengthen the bonds of friendship and partnership both at home and abroad."
The Queen visits the Scottish Parliament on Saturday
A spokeswoman for the Queen said the dinner later that night was a "private" moment for the Royal party.
She added: "By long-standing convention we do not comment on private moments of the Royal Family."
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