Pictures: Speyfest family visit for First Minister Humza Yousaf
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DURING an afternoon visit to Speyfest, First Minister Humza Yousaf made a mocktail, met locals, and took the stage to introduce the Auld Fochabers Fiddlers.
Mr Yousaf also stuck around in the Speyfest crowd for the Fiddlers' set, enjoying the toe-tappers with his family.
He said his daughter Amal (4) was particularly excited to be there on Sunday (July 23).
"It's the first time I've ever been here and I decided to bring my family too because, the traditional music we are listening to today is enjoyed by all generations," Mr Yusaf said.
"The wee one, my four-year-old Amal, once she hears the music I suspect getting her off the dance floor will be the difficult part."
Mr Yousaf's visit to Speyfest came as part of his first summer tour as First Minister.
Along with enjoying the festivities he was also quizzed by Grampian Online – announcing a further delay to dualling plans and making a "cast iron" commitment to bypass Keith, Inverurie and Elgin regardless of the outcome of the A96 Corridor Review.
The festival brought together the best in Celtic and traditional Scottish music at the weekend, with over 30 performances from around 160 musicians and performers.
Arriving at around 3.20pm the top politician was welcomed by Speyfest committee members, along with local SNP mainstays Councillor Shona Morrison and Moray MSP Richard Lochhead.
After a backstage tour of the main stage, he made a mocktail at the bar before heading out to meeting dozens of local crowd members, along with street food vendors and main tent stallholders.
Meanwhile, his family enjoyed craft activities at one of the festival's many workshops.
Mr Yousaf's said his reason for dropping in, along with enjoying the top quality music, was to engage with the views of local people on important issues and to promote independence.
He said: "I'm here because I'm wanting to listen to, engage with, and meet with people right across Scotland to hear from them about what more the SNP and the Scottish government can do for them.
"But also to make the positive case for why Independence is needed now more than ever before.
"I'll be travelling right around the country.
"This is latest stop – here in Fochabers for Speyfest."
Mr Yousaf also shared his personal connection with Moray, forged during his first by-election battle in support of MSP Richard Lochhead.
"This part of the world, the north east in particular, has a really, really special place in my heart," he said.
"For lots of different reasons, but is that it's where I cut my own political teeth.
"The first ever by-election I got involved in was for this man here on my left – for Richard Lochhead's by-election in 2006 where he won the Moray seat for us.
"And it was a great springboard for the SNP who then also won in 2007."
During his stint in Moray nearly 20 years ago, the First Minister spent months regularly visiting the Qismat on Elgin High Street.
In a Speyfest twist of fate, Mr Yousaf happened upon the restaurant's street food trailer – featuring Balal Ali at the stove.
After a good chat, which also saw the First Minister take a look behind the back of the food trailer, Mr Ali said it was "really cool" to think about all the times Mr Yousaf would have met his father, Qismat founder Liaqat Ali.
"Humza was saying he had been a regular customer many years ago, and was coming there for months and months," he said.
"So that means he would have had a relationship with my dad as well.
"Which I didn't actually know about. And it's really cool to be honest with you.
"He seemed very friendly, very outgoing.
"And happy enough to speak about whatever, and he even came round to back of the van which was quite nice as well."
He said the connection shows how working in the restaurant business creates bonds with a wide range of people.
"It's been a long established business," Mr Ali said.
"And I like that, when people's lives come together through the business, it builds up the story of how they've evolved to wherever they are.
"He is a part of our journey, or path, whatever you want to call it – it's good."
Welcoming Mr Yousaf's visit to Speyfest, Mr Lochhead said: "It's not often you have the First Minister here – so it's great to have him.
"I'm delighted that our new First Minister has decided to visit Moray and Speyfest in particular as part of his first summer tour.
"And it's an ideal event to visit.
"Not only does it represent the heritage and tradition of Speyside and wider Moray, but there's obviously hundreds of people having a great time.
"And it's an opportunity for the First Minister to say hello and for him to hear the views and aspirations of local people."
Before heading off after 5pm, Mr Yousaf also tried his hand at making a pizza.
