Following the sad news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, we look back on the impact she had on her only visit to the Three Towns.

Her Majesty last visited the area alongside the Duke of Edinburgh over 66 years ago, when the pair spent a morning in Ayrshire during their visit to Scotland.

On Tuesday, July 3, 1956, the royal couple spent time visiting towns, with crowds of locals lining the streets along the way.

The pair arrived at Ardrossan Town station at 10am, greeted by a reception party which included the Provost of Ardrossan, John Hogarth, Chief Constable of Ayrshire, Robert Adamson, and the Rt Hon Lord Strathclyde.

The station was transformed especially for the occasion, with flowers and decorations displayed to welcome Her Majesty.

The building was embellished with flowers and plant pots on a backdrop of decorative trellis work.

The platform was covered by a red, white and blue canopy, with bunting hung from the overheads. A red carpet was laid, leading the Queen through the building from the platform to the booking hall.

The visit is documented in a video which shows the monarch being welcomed by large crowds outside the train station.

The footage shows her shaking hands with special guests and acknowledging the crowds as they wave flags, before taking time to sign the visitor book.

As she moved through the area, the Queen was greeted by further crowds, with schoolchildren lining South Crescent Road as she made her way to Saltcoats.

There, locals gathered along Hamilton Street and Dockhead Street to catch a glimpse of the Royal carriage as it passed by.

The Queen and Prince Phillip later visited the Burns Cottage in Alloway where they spent 15 minutes before also making stops in Irvine and Kilwinning.

Following their brief tour of North Ayrshire, the couple moved on to Edinburgh where the Queen was greeted at Princes Street Station by the Lord Provost, Sir John Banks.

He presented her with the keys to the city and delivered a welcome speech on the platform.

Watch the footage from the couple’s trip here courtesy of the British Movietone​ YouTube channel.