The Royal National Mod lived up to its name with a flying visit from Prince Charles.
The Lord of the Isles, as he is known when visiting the Hebrides, watched performances from young Gaels taking part in the showpiece festival.
He also presented a special award to Carmine Calajezzi, who is now fluent in Gaelic – despite being born and bred on the east coast of Italy.
The royal visit came as the children’s Mod reached its climax with more than 50 competitions spread throughout a busy Stornoway.
Dressed in full Lord of the Isles tartan regalia, Prince Charles spent more than an hour touring the Nicolson Institute in Stornoway, which is one of the main venues for this year’s Mod.
He watched singing performances by Lucy Smith and Ryan Johnstone, who had already won their categories by the time they took to stage with the prince sitting in the front row.
Mr Calajezzi was awarded a medal as Gaelic learner of the year, having taken up studying the language after a cycling tour of the Western Isles.
He then toured the building, meeting representatives from various organisations involved with the Mod, as well as competitors and their families.
Among the invited guests were representatives of the local Mod organising committee, who ended up engaging the prince in conversation about growing potatoes in Berneray off North Uist.
The prince secretly spent a week on the remote island in 1987 learning about crofting and taking part in the planting of potatoes and cutting peat.
John Macleod, president of An Comunn Gaidhealach, guided the prince around the school and afterwards said: “It’s an honour to have had His Royal Highness, the Lord of the Isles, attend this year’s Royal National Mod. Today has been a significant day in the history of the Mod, and I’m sure for the people of the Western Isles too.
“Carmine is a worthy winner of the Gaelic Learner of the Year award, his hard work and commitment has been remarkable.
“The level of competition already this year has been outstanding and we’re delighted to have witnessed such high levels of Gaelic being spoken in the younger generations.”
Meanwhile, competitions in the children’s Mod reached its peak with the awarding of the prestigious silver medals.
A big winner was Mairi Callan who won both of the girls’ silver medal competitions – believed to be the first time that the “double” has been achieved in the same year.
The 15-year-old Glasgow High School pupil, who stays in Annathill in North Lanarkshire but has family connections in North Uist, was delighted with her success.
She was following in the footsteps of her brother Micheal Callan who won both the silver medal competitions, though in different years.
Nicolson Institute pupil Samuel Mackay was the winner of the boys’ silver medal for prescribed song.
The boys traditional was won by Eoin Comming from Gairloch High School.
Meanwhile a major success story was the choir from Stornoway’s Nicolson Institute who had a spectacularly successful day, winning every competition they had entered.
The choir walked away with a plethora of trophies from their successful afternoon.
Meanwhile choir member Catriona Bain and fellow Nicolson Institute pupil Alex John Morrison were individual winners in the prescribed singing for 16-18 prescribed song.
Meanwhile the Clan Trotternish group scored a notable success in precenting a psalm, claiming all three of the top spots.
Twelve-year-old Erin Gillies was the winner, followed by Ross Macleod and Megan Macivor.