The king toured Campbeltown in Tartan, whisky in hand, undaunted by rain, crowds, or cancer
King Charles stepped into wind, rain and royal tradition on Wednesday, warming himself with a dram of rare Scotch whisky as he toured the small town of Campbeltown on Scotland’s west coast.
The monarch, who is undergoing ongoing treatment for cancer, didn’t let the weather—or his health—dampen the occasion. Donning a kilt and clutching an umbrella, Charles wove through a cheering crowd of more than a thousand well-wishers as part of Holyrood Week, the annual July pilgrimage where the sovereign honours Scotland with a week-long stay.
In true Highland style, the King sampled a 25-year-old single malt from Glen Scotia distillery—£500 a bottle, no less. As the amber liquid hit his lips, he quipped, “I’m always so amused by these people who describe these whiskys in the most amazing ways.”
The tasting notes described it as having “hints of vanilla oak interwoven with subtle notes of sea spray and spicy aromatic fruits.” But the King, ever curious, asked master distiller Iain McAlister a more practical question: “Is it a peaty one?” He was told it wasn’t—but that didn’t stop him from taking a hearty sip.
Mr McAlister, beaming with pride, presented Charles with a full bottle. “It doesn’t get much better than this, having the King try our whisky,” he said.
Outside, rain-lashed crowds waited for a glimpse of the monarch. One onlooker shouted, “You’re looking well,” to which Charles replied simply: “Thank you.” His understated grace resonated deeply, especially given his public health battles.
Inside Campbeltown’s town hall, the King met with local charities and community groups, before heading on a whistle-stop tour of local shops, shaking hands with butchers, greengrocers and chocolatiers. At Fetcha Chocolates, owner Fiona McArthur shared that her vegan truffles were gifted at last year’s Oscars.
Embed from Getty Images“The King was asking how we made the chocolates and was very excited about the Oscars when I told him,” she said, adding that she gifted him a box.
Elsewhere, His Majesty stopped to watch Willie Skilling, a 67-year-old livestock agent and sheep shearer, who wrestled a Scotch Mule sheep into submission and sheared it clean.
Using a harness called a “bungee” to support his back, Skilling joked, “This is what you call help the aged.” Charles laughed: “I must remember that.”
Later at the harbour, the King met members of the RNLI, Coastguard, and Sea Cadets, posing with schoolchildren from a local nursery who held a sign reading “Campbeltown Nursery Welcomes You.”
While Queen Camilla was notably absent from the visit, Charles was undeterred—radiating a quiet resilience that touched many watching on.
In a week that often centres on formality, this visit stood out for its earthy charm. There was no palace pomp—just a man in a kilt, tasting whisky, smiling through the storm, and reminding Scotland that its King is still here, still laughing, and still leading.
