Lucinda Cameron

Masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci will travel to Scotland for an exhibition celebrating the 60th birthday of Prince Charles, it was announced yesterday.

The Stirling Smith will be the only Scottish venue to host the show, which will also visit three other museums and galleries across the country in 2008 and 2009. Ten works from the Royal Collection, which contains the world's most important group of drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, will be on display.

They are normally preserved in the royal library at Windsor Castle and are among the greatest treasures of the collection.

Colin O'Brien, chairman of the trustees of The Stirling Smith, said: "It is an honour and a privilege for the historic city of Stirling to be chosen as the only Scottish venue to exhibit works of art that are among the greatest treasures of Her Majesty The Queen's collection."

The exhibition will visit The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum in Stirling from August 9 to November 2, 2008. It follows the success of three previous touring exhibitions of 10 masterpieces from the royal library.

They were held to celebrate the millennium, the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002 and her 80th birthday in 2006, though they did not go to Stirling.