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King Charles wearing a kilt and holding an umbrella as he arrives at 8 Doors Distillery© Tim Rooke/Shutterstock

King Charles rocks a kilt as he's seen for the first time on Scottish break

The monarch arrived in Scotland last weekend

Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
August 2, 2023
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King Charles certainly didn't let the August downpour stop him from enjoying his first public outing since starting his summer break in Scotland.

The monarch, 74, donned a kilt as he officially opened the 8 Doors Distillery in John O'Groats, Caithness.

He was greeted by Kerry and Derek Campbell, owners of the distillery, before being given a tour.

As he stopped at the warehouse, Charles was invited to fill an American Oak, Pedro Ximinez Hogshead cask, before sampling the new make spirit.

Kerry Campbell, co-founder of 8 Doors Distillery, said: "We were honoured to welcome The King to 8 Doors Distillery and thoroughly enjoyed sharing our story and what makes our distillery so unique with him, as well as offering him the opportunity to fill a cask in our warehouse.

"Throughout his visit he had the opportunity to meet many of our team, from those working in our distillation team through to our retail and distillery lounge staff, all of whom embody our passion for both the whisky industry and the local area."

Producing ‘Whisky. From the edge.’, 8 Doors Distillery is greatly influenced by the unique, dramatic, landscape of the rugged coastal highland area it calls home, with its Scotch whisky the first to be produced in John O’Groats since 1837.

The distillery and visitor centre have been designed to showcase the two copper stills and traditional whisky-making process, while showcasing the fantastic views across the Pentland Firth.

The King unveils a plaque at the 8 Doors Distillery© Getty
The King officially opened the 8 Doors Distillery
The King with distillery owners Kerry and Derek Campbell© Getty
The King with distillery owners Kerry and Derek Campbell

The distillery has re-purposed all the stainless-steel vessels used  during production from other sites, and the waste from the distillation process is  collected and turned into bio-gas for re-use at a local anaerobic digestion plant.

After his visit, His Majesty viewed market stalls and met local food producers.

The King arrived in Scotland last Saturday and is believed to be spending some time at the Castle of Mey, which once belonged to the late Queen Mother, until she handed it over to a charitable trust in 1996.

The King sampled a drink at the distiller© Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
The King sampled a drink at the distiller

Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, will host members of their families for their first summer retreat at Balmoral later this month.

The couple typically like to stay at their property near the castle, Birkhall. Take a look at its grand exterior in the clip below...

WATCH: King Charles Unveils Grand Home Entrance To Birkhall

The King and Queen are likely to be joined at Balmoral by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, as well as Camilla's children and grandchildren.

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