The Prince and Princess of Wales made a charming visit to Tobermory on the Isle of Mull – one of Scotland’s most picturesque coastal towns. The visit came as the Royal couple marked their 14th wedding anniversary. William and Kate got married on this day in 2011.
The Couple is in Scotland for a two day visit and for the night rented an isolated self-catering cottage in the area to celebrate their wedding anniversary in private. William and Kate received the title of the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay and also known as The Lord and Lady of the Isles in the region. This is their first joint visit to Scotland since Kate’s cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Tobermory, the capital of the Isle of Mull in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides was established in 1788 by the British Fisheries Society and is renowned for its vibrant harbourfront, rich history, and cultural significance.
William and Kate’s first stop of the day was Aros Hall, a local community hub, in the heart of the town. The Prince and Princess of Wales met with local residents, small business owners, and toured an artisan market and met some of the island’s makers and creators.
The Irish Press shared this small tid-bit from the visit that this was not the first time William and Kate are in Isles of Mull. From the Irish Press, “Kate and William reminisced about their visit to the island when they were students, telling volunteers and hall committee members how they visited Tobermory, where the popular BBC children’s TV series Balamory was filmed almost 25 years ago. William told Beale and others: “It was 2003 when we were here. We had a lovely time here – it’s wonderful.”
William and Kate’s foundation, The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales’ has a Community Impact Programme that is provided a grant to help renovate the hall. These grants will support two key community spaces on the Isle of Mull by upgrading facilities and providing new opportunities for residents of all ages to come together and take part in activities that support their health and wellbeing.
The ‘Rainydays’ play area will be transformed into a soft play zone to encourage more play activities between parents and their children. Pennyghael Community Hall, located in the rural Ross of Mull, will benefit from crucial renovations including vital roof repairs to ensure the hall continues to serve future generations.
The grants have been bolstered by partnerships with key organisations through The Royal Foundation’s Centre for Early Childhood‘s Business Taskforce. The Co-op has provided funding for play equipment for Aros Hall’s ‘Rainydays’ play area, while the LEGO Group has contributed resources to encourage young children on the Isle of Mull to have access to creative play and hands-on learning.
As per the reports from Sky TV, “Interior designer Banjo Beale, a presenter on the BBC’s Designing The Hebrides programme and a Mull resident, will work with fellow islanders to ensure the community-owned centres reflect the area’s culture. Beale joined the prince and princess, officially known by their Scottish titles the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay when in Scotland, as they toured the building on Tobermory’s waterfront”.
Before leaving, The Prince and Princess of Wales spent some time meeting with the locals outside the Aros Hall and then toured the Tobermory Producers Market.
In the market, The Prince and Princess of Wales visited various shops and stalls learning about the local products. From the Daily Mirror article, “The princess spent so long speaking to Sheila Barnard at a pop up market in the village of Tobermory on the Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides, that her husband Prince William jokingly suggested he was going to stage an intervention. Moving along several stall holders from local businesses, William and Kate – known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay when in Scotland, stopped to talk to Sheila and her husband Tim who have been keeping bees for more than 30 years”.
William and Kate did some personal shopping in the area. The royal couple also took time to explore the colorful harborfront and greeted crowds with their signature warmth and approachability.
The last stop of the day for The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay was a local croft on the west coast of Mull to learn about sustainable production and the hospitality industry on the islands. William and Kate visited Croft 3, owned by Jeanette Cutlack and Jack Shaw, a relatively new working croft and restaurant which celebrates sustainable production, relying as much as possible on serving food which they farm and grow themselves or which is provided by local producers.
They toured the croft and some of its 50 acres of land, including seeing some of the herd of Hebridean sheep farmed on site, and helped to select some of the fresh produce from the gardens for that day’s menu. Before departing, Their Royal Highnesses also met members of the local community who regularly visit the croft.
After spending the night in the picturesque area, tomorrow Prince William and Kate Middleton will visit an ancient woodland before heading back home.
What The Princess of Wales wore for a visit to Tobermory on the Isle of Mull
- Holland Cooper Double Breasted Blazer Large Scale Brown Herringbone – New
- Boden Longline Linen Safari Shirt – New
- Massimo Dutti Skinny Fit High-Rise Satin Trousers – Repeat from June 2020
- Unidentified Black Belt
- Kiki McDonough Blue Topaz Classics Pear Drop Earrings – New
- Daniella Draper Fixed Alphabet Necklace – Repeat from May 2021 Scotland Tour
- Daniella Draper Personalised Gold Midnight Moon Necklace – Repeat from January 2020
- Finlay & Co Marble ‘Vivian’ Sunglasses – Repeat from July 2023 Polo Match
- Cartier Ballon Bleu watch – Repeat from 2014 Australia Tour
- See by Chloe Leather Trimmed Suede Ankle Boots – Repeat from January 2019 visit to King Henry’s Walk Community Garden
