FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon paid a surprise visit to The Brunton on Monday to take part in a conference on the future of rural communities.

The First Minister arrived at the Musselburgh conference shortly after lunchtime and chatted to venue staff before meeting delegates attending the Scottish Rural Parliament’s Rural Summit.

She even took time to make her mark on boards set up for those taking part to mark the things they believed were most needed in country communities.

Ms Sturgeon met with representatives of Humbie and Lammermuir Community Enterprise Ltd (HLCE), which was set up to improve broadband connection in their communities. The project, which has secured £152,000 fund from Community Broadband Scotland (CBS) to improve services, expects to ensure 250 homes will receive better broadband.

She praised the community-led project, which is the first of its kind to be delivered by a not-for-profit company with support from Scottish Government Initiative and CBS. The First Minister said: “Our rural communities make a crucial contribution to Scotland and improving digital connectivity doesn’t just boost economy opportunities, it transforms the way people live, work and learn, particularly in remote and rural Scotland.

“The HumbieNET project is a good example of the work that Community Broadband Scotland is taking forward to bring broadband to homes and businesses in hard-to-reach communities.”