The Duchess of Cambridge joins Judy Murray at first Tennis on the Road session of 2016

The activity coincides with the announcement that the initiative is now supported by the Lawn Tennis Association.

Tennis on the Road was created to increase and improve the coaching workforce in Scotland, and its aim is to grow the game from the grassroots up. The programme shows parents, teachers, coaches, students, volunteers and sports development teams how to deliver fun and engaging starter sessions to children and young teenagers.

Spearheaded by Judy Murray, much of the content is based on the types of games and skill building activities that Grand Slam champions Andy and Jamie loved to play when they were children.

As a mother, keen sportsperson and tennis fan, The Duchess of Cambridge joined the group of parents, teachers, coaches and sports leaders, to help deliver a tennis themed session to a group of local primary school children.

From a rackets warm up, to bean bag tennis, balloon rallies, and relay races, The Duchess got stuck into all of the fun activities which are designed to develop the skills needed to play a complex coordination sport like tennis.

Tennis on the Road specifically aims to bring tennis to communities that have limited existing activity, and builds a workforce of local people to ensure everyone has the opportunity to enjoy the sport.

Murray said: “We were thrilled to welcome The Duchess of Cambridge to our session in Edinburgh and hope that she found the afternoon useful and a lot of fun! Tennis on the Road is about inspiring and supporting parents, teachers, volunteers and coaches to increase participation and grow the game in their backyards or whatever space they have. You don’t need a tennis court to get kids started. It’s great to now have the LTA supporting the programme and I can’t wait for another action packed year on the road!”

Michael Downey, CEO of The Lawn Tennis Association, said: “We are delighted to extend our support to the Tennis on the Road programme that Judy has pioneered. It is a breakthrough programme aimed at building a tennis workforce that includes coaches, instructors, volunteers and mums and dads who want to engage with their children in tennis.

“It's innovative and is a representation of Judy herself, born out of her strong desire to bring tennis to new and existing communities throughout Scotland. What a privilege that the Duchess of Cambridge will attend a Tennis on the Road visit with Judy, inspiring the next generation to pick up a racket and have some fun.”

David Marshall, CEO of Tennis Scotland, added: “It is fantastic to have Tennis on the Road back in Edinburgh to launch the 2016 programme of events and to see the Duchess of Cambridge involved in the session. We are looking forward to continuing to work with Judy and her team to take the roadshows around the country. The 2015 roadshows proved to be a huge success in all corners of Scotland and the 2016 programme looks even better with revisits and new venues added to the tour.”

Tennis on the Road was delighted to also unveil a new van, kindly donated by Peugeot who are now on board as an official partner.