More than 5,000 people attended the Church of Scotland’s annual Heart and Soul festival yesterday.
The event in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh was described as a “wonderful programme of worship, music, participation and learning” by General Assembly moderator the Rev John Chalmers.
The theme this year was Hands Across The World, which aimed to celebrate the life of the church through the lens of its international heritage, relationships and partners.
Congregations from across Scotland, including Lochaber, Stonehaven Fetteresso and Shetland, set up stalls to showcase the work they do in their communities.
Other exhibitors included the Interfaith Group on Domestic Abuse, the Iona Community, Tearfund, Scottish Bible Society and the Boys Brigade.
A wide variety of music was performed on the park’s main stage, including gospel, choral and swing, while fun activities for children included sumo wrestling in inflatable suits.
The mission and discipleship marquee held an “audience with” sessions with a range of figures from the Christian world to give people an insight into their work.
The Kirk’s Lord High Commissioner Prince Edward and his wife Sophie were given a tour of the gardens by Kirk officials and spent time chatting to visitors and posing for photographs.