THOUSANDS gathered to greet Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on Tuesday during the couple's first official joint visit to Scotland.

The pair visited Edinburgh as part of public engagements in the run-up to their wedding on May 19.

And on the eve of Valentine's Day, they met members of the public during a walkabout in Edinburgh in order to learn more about work in the community.

The trip to Scotland marks the fourth public appearance Meghan, 36, and Harry, 33, have made together.

It follows their successful visits to Nottingham, Brixton in south London and Cardiff in the months that followed their engagement announcement in November.

The Herald:

Today, they made their first stop at the esplanade in front of Edinburgh Castle where they were officially welcomed by the Royal Marines Scotland Band.

It comes after Harry was appointed as Captain General Royal Marines in December 2017.

Inside the Castle at the historic Edinburgh Garrison, which looks out across the dazzling city, the pair stood still to observe the firing of the One O'clock Gun.

The Herald:

Harry and Meghan then visited Social Bite, a café and social business that tackles homelessness -- a cause close to Harry's heart.

The organisation runs social enterprise cafés throughout Scotland and distributes 100,000 items of food and hot drinks to the homeless each year.

They also employ staff who have experienced homelessness themselves and are working on a housing project for the homeless.

Harry and Meghan got to learn more about the social enterprise and toured the kitchen.

It was another high-profile visit for the Social Bite as Holywood star George Clooney stopped by for a sandwich at their premises on Rose Street in 2015.

The Herald:

The couple rounded off their visit by attending a reception at the Palace of Holyroodhouse to celebrate youth achievements.

The Year of Young People is an initiative aiming to inspire Scotland through its youngsters by celebrating their achievements and strengthening their voice on social issues.

Youth representatives from various charities and organisations that work with and for young people across the country were present.

And the reception provided an opportunity for them to discuss their aspirations for the year and the activities that they have been involved in so far.