The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay spend their first day in Scotland

The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay arrived in Scotland today for day one of #TRHinScotland. The Duke began the day by carrying out solo engagements in Perth and Rosyth. HRH’s first visit was to Margaret Morrison in Perth, manufacturer of traditional Scottish Sporrans. 

A Sporran is a small pouch that hangs in front of the kilt as part of men's Scottish Highland dress, and Margaret Morrison has made sporrans for schools, Scouting Groups as well as Regiments including The Royal Regiment of Scotland. HRH toured the workshop and saw how the sporrans are specially made on-site. 

Next, it was on to Viewlands House Care Home, which is also located in the city of Perth. Viewlands House is part of The Abbeyfield Society, a charity that provides older people with supported housing and care. HRH has been Patron of The Abbeyfield Society since 1979 and previously visited the care home in 1988. 

The Duke spent time with some of the 32 residents who live there, and heard about the activities on offer, which include indoor golf, curling, knitting and gardening. 

Departing Perth, The Duke headed to Rosyth for a tour of HMS Prince of Wales, a Royal Navy ship currently being assembled there. The 65,000 tonne ship will provide the armed forces with a military base that can be deployed worldwide, and will be used for operations that include providing humanitarian aid.

HRH toured the ship and met some of the workforce who are constructing the vessel before striking a gavel which resulted in the placing of the final 570 tonne structural piece of the ship into the Flight Deck. 

In the afternoon, The Duchess of Rothesay joined The Duke Rothesay for a tour of the ‘Harris to Paris’ Fashion Exhibition. The exhibition showcases the tradition of Harris Tweed, tracing the journey of the tweed from the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides to the couture houses of Paris. The tweed is specially woven by residents of the Scottish islands of Harris and Lewis. Their Royal Highnesses previously visited the Isle of Harris in 2011, and saw first hand how the traditional tweed is made.

The exhibition is open to the public from 22 June - 31 August in conjunction with the Edinburgh International Fashion Festival.

To end the first day of the Royal visit to Scotland, The Duke of Rothesay attended a Step Up to Serve Reception at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. 

Step Up to Serve is a charity that aims to make social action the norm for all 10 to 20-year-olds in the UK by 2020. Through their #iwill campaign, the charity promotes the idea that social action benefits both young people and their communities. HRH launched Step Up to Serve at Buckingham Palace in November 2013, and is the charity’s Patron. 

During the reception, The Duke met supporters of the charity as well as young people who had been involved with the #iwill campaign in Scotland.