Edinburgh is no stranger to hosting official visits from world leaders, but few have arrived in the city for more curious reasons than Vladimir Putin in June 2003.
Officials said the Russian president had asked to visit Scotland's capital because of the historical contribution of Scots architects in Russia in the 18th century - but the man himself had a more unusual explanation.
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The former KGB officer, who was on the second day of his third state visit to the UK, claimed to have been drawn to Auld Reekie due to his "very warm personal relationship" with then UK prime minister, Tony Blair, who "originates from here".
Putin, then aged 50, and only three years into his presidency, was accompanied in Edinburgh by his wife Lyudmila.
The pair toured Edinburgh Castle before meeting with leading public, business and cultural figures, including First Minister Jack McConnell.
Chechnya criticism
And, in an echo of current events in Ukraine, Putin's visit was met with more than a little hostility in some quarters over concerns about Russia's human rights record in Chechnya.
The second Chechen war was raging at the time and questions were being asked of the treatment of civilians by Russian troops.
In the week leading up to Putin's visit, MSPs demanded First Minister Jack McConnell raise the matter of the alleged human rights abuses, including reports of rape, torture and executions.
Instead, Putin and his wife were treated to the skirling sound of the bagpipes at Edinburgh Castle, before enjoying views over the city from the ramparts and watching children dancing in full Scottish dress.
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Addressing the assembled dignitaries in the grand hall of the city's Signet Library in Parliament Square, Putin declared: "the cold war is over", before discussing the many challenges facing the world, and touching upon the historic cultural and military links between Scotland and Russia.
Demonstrations
An indifferent Edinburgh public looked on in silence as the presidential motorcade made its way down the Royal Mile - though there was some notable unrest.
The Scottish Socialist party unfurled a banner condemning the war in Chechnya, while one protestor was keen to make his feelings known even clearer.
As Putin and his entourage approached the Palace of Holyroodhouse, a demonstrator threw himself in front of the president's car and shouted slogans attacking the war in Chechnya. The man, 24, was wrestled to the ground by police officers and taken away for questioning.
Not everyone was upset at Putin's presence in Edinburgh, however. In St Mary's Street the owners of the Russian Shop displayed a set of Russian dolls in their window. Each of the dolls were specially painted for the occasion to resemble Russian leaders throughout history - including Vladimir Putin.
Lunch with Prince Andrew
Before leaving for London, Putin had lunch in the Her Majesty's official Edinburgh residence with Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, and later attended an exhibition of the work of Russian jeweller Carl Fabergé at the Queen's Gallery.
To date, Putin's 2003 trip is the Russian president's only official visit to Edinburgh.
It was later revealed that the total policing costs for the one day visit cost a staggering £17,000 and took up 1,100 hours of police time, including Putin's sizeable escort from and to the airport.
