NC The SNP and many Scot councils snubbed the beacon-lighting ceremony

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Royal events such as coronations, jubilees and weddings have traditionally been celebrated with hundreds of torches and bonfires being lit across the country. There will be more than 1,000 beacons set ablaze on Thursday evening, with Her Majesty due to light the first one at a ceremony in Windsor. The event is being organised by Pageantmaster Bruno Peek, who has registered 939 beacons in England and Wales - but just 39 in Scotland. A further 31 will be lit in Northern Ireland and across the Commonwealth, with even Sinn Fein-dominated Belfast City Council planning to join in the celebrations.

Only seven of Scotland's 32 councils are lighting a beacon, while there is no involvement from the Scottish Government or any of the dozens of public sector organisations controlled by the SNP.

It is very disappointing that the SNP Government don't deem this an event that is worthwhile Murdo Fraser, Conservative MSP

Murdo Fraser, who is standing for re-election as Conservative MSP, said: "I'm sure that most Scottish people would want to see the 90th birthday of our longest reigning monarch and someone who has done remarkable service for this country marked in the appropriate fashion. "It is very disappointing that the SNP Government don't deem this an event that is worthwhile of whole hearted and enthusiastic support. Perhaps this is an indication that there is still a lingering republican sentiment within the SNP ranks that the party hierarchy don't want to upset."

GETTY The ceremony was to celebrate the Queen;s upcoming 90th birthday

Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee city councils are among the notable absentees, along with North and South Lanarkshire, Fife and Highland councils. Even Aberdeenshire Council, which is home to the Queen’s Scottish residence at Balmoral, has decided against taking part. A spokesman for the SNP-led council said: "We don’t organise individual beacons but are very supportive of local groups who have taken the opportunity to organise events across Aberdeenshire." Remarkably, spokeswoman for Labour-led Glasgow City Council said the 90th birthday celebrations would be confined to elderly folk in the city's care homes. She added: “It is not something we traditionally do. However, it does not mean we are not doing anything on the Queen’s birthday.

GETTY Frazer suggested there may be 'lingering republican sentiment within the SNP ranks'

“For example, we have a number of events around our care homes for the residents.” In Edinburgh, a spokeswoman for the Labour and SNP-controlled local authority said there would be a 21-gun salute for Her Majesty on her official birthday in June. Fife and Dundee - led by Labour and the SNP respectively - both said they were not involved or even aware of the beacon celebrations while a spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said they marked the date in other ways. She added: “In line with our flag protocols, the Royal Banner - the Lion Rampant - will be flown from the main Scottish Government building on Thursday to mark the 90th birthday of Her Majesty The Queen.” Most of the Scottish beacon events have been organised by small community associations, such as Unst Community Council - which will light the most northerly beacon in the UK.

GETTY Murdo Fraser criticised the SNP's decision