Why is the King opening the Scottish Parliament during summer recess?

King Charles and Queen Camilla will be at Holyrood on Saturday to mark the official start of the 7th session of the Scottish Parliament.

During the celebrations there will be pageantry, poetry and piping, with speeches by the King, the presiding officer and the first minister.

But why is the ceremony taking place as MSPs begin their summer recess?

It's a question which has caused confusion for many of the new intake.

The SNP's Heather Anderson is looking forward to celebrating with her constituents, but said: "Being a new MSP, I'm only just beginning to work out what we're doing, the rhythm and the systems here and we're going off for two months and have to start again."

The Green MSP Iris Duane is a republican who believes the head of state should be elected.

She has also been wondering about the timing of the ceremony.

"The people have elected us to come here and make their lives better and the opening of parliament represents one of our first steps towards properly getting to do that," she said.

Reform UK's Jamie Langan said he wasn't entirely sure of the logic behind the date, but was excited to have the head of state at Holyrood.

Labour's Katherine Sangster agrees it's slightly odd.

"I'm not going to comment on why we're having the opening at the end but it'll be a lovely way to end what's been a great few weeks as a new MSP," she said.

The answer lies in convention.

The Royal Opening of the new Scottish Parliament took place on 1 July 1999, the day the new law-making body officially got its powers.

By that point, MSPs had already been elected for several weeks. But with no authority to make any legislative changes, much of the time was spent setting up committee structures, and agreeing how question times and debates would operate.

As the parliament was set up to be family friendly, recesses were timed to coincide with school holidays.

That meant there were no more chamber sittings scheduled for the months of July and August, so as soon as the Royal opening had taken place, MSPs returned to their constituencies.

Almost 30 years on, each new session still starts in the same way.

Parliament chief executive David McGill explained: "The date has the advantage of being closest to the anniversary of the first opening ceremony but choosing a Saturday enables the public to be more actively involved in events to mark the occasion.

"The timing of the event also means that newly elected MSPs get an opportunity to search for a local hero – which has been part of our opening events since 2007."

Conveniently for the Royal Family, the date coincides with Royal Week in Scotland, when the Monarch stays at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, meeting Scots from all walks of life and conducting visits to celebrate Scottish culture, achievement and community.

Presiding Officer Kenneth Gibson said: "The start of a new parliament is all about optimism, hope and a renewal of what the parliament means to the people of Scotland. Their Majesties' support for this institution has been steadfast.

"It's an honour to have The King and The Queen join us at the start of that journey alongside people from across Scotland who are at the centre of our plans to commemorate this milestone."

This will be the King's 8th visit to the Scottish Parliament. He first accompanied his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, in 1999. He was last at Holyrood two years ago to mark the institution's 25th anniversary, when he spoke of the "uniquely special" place Scotland holds in his heart.

The Crown of Scotland - used at the coronation of Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1543 - will be part of the procession. Athletes who are due to compete at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow later in the summer will carry the Elizabeth Sword.

A lot of preparation goes into an event like this. Robert White, who is the Scottish Parliament's postman, will be bearing the mace rather than the mail on Saturday. But he's still hoping for a first-class delivery and has been practising walking at a regal pace.

"A lot of people say I'm the quickest person in the building, but when you do the mace, you have to be very, very slow," he said.

"Everything starts with me. If I'm wrong then the whole procession's wrong, so there's a wee bit of weight on the shoulders to get that right."

The ceremony will include performances from the National Youth Choir of Scotland's BSL Youth Choir, which incorporates sign language, as well as musicians Rachel Groves and Ellie Beaton from Aberdeenshire and a drama exploring Scottish culture and identity featuring members of the Lyceum Youth Theatre.

Thomas Candlin, 17, is beyond grateful to be involved.

"It's quite nerve-wracking because obviously it's such a big event for the entirety of the country." he said. "There's so many important people there, there's quite a lot of pressure to get it perfect".

The Makar, Peter MacKay, has been commissioned to write a poem to mark the occasion.

Scotland's national poet will deliver his work in Gaelic, though an English translation will appear in the programme.

"Let This Hall Be Full of Noises" features seven stanzas of seven lines, to mark the 7th session.

"If there is a political message, it's to do what's right, to take things seriously, to feel the responsibility of power, and to consider all of the country and all of its different diverse locations," he said.

"Everybody has to be reflected and to have their voices heard."

After the formal proceedings conclude, their Majesties will join a reception with "local heroes" who have been chosen to represent constituencies and regions across the country.

Among them is four-year-old Gregor Corse from Orkney. He was born with a brain condition which affects his balance and motor skills and is the youngest ever local hero.

He's been nominated after raising £70,000 for charity by doing laps around his house, supported by a walking frame.

His mum, Iona, will be with him.

"He's very excited, he's been telling everybody about getting to meet the King," she said.

She added that Gregor's walking came on leaps and bounds while doing the challenge, but warned "The King might need to open his arms and catch him."

The ceremony will be broadcast on the BBC Scotland channel at 11: 30 on Saturday.