King Charles has relocated to his Scottish home after attending the annual Mey Highland Games, held on the first Saturday of August.
This event is a significant highlight in the royal family’s calendar, with the monarch regularly making appearances over the years. The Scottish games feature a variety of competitions, including running, tug of war, Highland dancing, and bagpiping.
Charles, now 75, became the chieftain of the games in 2002, succeeding his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. It is believed that Charles is currently staying at the Castle of Mey, located in Caithness on Scotland’s North coast. Following tradition, he is likely to spend a week there before reuniting with the royal family at Balmoral.
The Queen Mother purchased the Castle of Mey in 1953 and lovingly restored it between 1953 and 1955. She used to spend three weeks at the castle each August and returned for around ten days in October. Charles inherited the property after her death in 2002.
While the Castle of Mey seems the most likely option, Charles may have instead traveled to Birkhall on the Balmoral estate. Birkhall is the private residence of King Charles and Queen Camilla and was also a former home of the Queen Mother, who described it as a “little big house.”
This Scottish residence holds a special place in King Charles’ heart. He spent part of his honeymoon there in 2005 and retired to Birkhall following his mother’s funeral in London. The property is a rural haven, complete with a thatched fairytale-esque Wendy house, which is likely a favorite of Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Chatting to Alan Titchmarsh for Country Life, the monarch gushed about Birkhall’s garden which he dubbed his “special place.” Reflecting on the property’s majestic vegetable gardens and flower beds, Charles said: “It is such a special place, particularly because it was made by my grandmother. It is a childhood garden, and all I’ve done, really, is enhance it a bit.
“There was only one hedge at Birkhall to begin with, so I put in some more for structure – I love topiary, anyway. It’s all in the details and not overdoing things. You have to be careful about the amount of statuary you put in and having too many objects.”
Later this month, Charles and Camilla are expected to host their families at their Scottish residence, Balmoral, with the Castle closing to the public on 11 August. According to The Mail on Sunday, it’s believed that Charles is planning to enjoy an extended summer break, staying in Scotland until the end of September or early October.
Located in Aberdeenshire, Balmoral is beloved by the royals thanks to the property’s 50,000-acre estate which is the perfect spot for walks, picnics, fishing and barbecues. It was regarded as one of the late Queen’s favourite residences – a revelation confirmed by Princess Eugenie in the ITV documentary, Our Queen at Ninety.
“It’s the most beautiful place on earth,” she said, before adding: “I think Granny is the happiest there, I think she really, really loves the Highlands… Walks, picnics, dogs – a lot of dogs, there’s always dogs! And people coming in and out all the time.”
