The Prince and Princess on their first visit to the Isle of Bute
Photo: The Royal Household
Prince William and Princess Catherine made their first official visit to the Isle of Bute in Scotland on Thursday, where they are known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay. They tried shinty, met beach cleaners and visited a pub the village has bought for itself.
Prince William and Princess Catherine made their first official visit to the Isle of Bute in Scotland on Thursday 17 September. The theme of the day was the power of community, connection and volunteering.
Princess Catherine tried her hand at shinty at Bute Shinty Club. Photo: The Royal Household
• Duke and Duchess of Rothesay
In Scotland the couple are known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay. The title of Duke of Rothesay traditionally goes to the heir to the throne, and it was created in 1398 by King Robert III of Scotland for his eldest son.
Rothesay is also the name of the largest town on Bute, and that is where the visit began.
• Shinty with local volunteers
The first stop was Bute Shinty Club in Rothesay. The club was founded in 1946 and is run by volunteers, many of them former players.
Prince William and Princess Catherine on the pitch at Bute Shinty Club. Photo: The Royal Household
Shinty is a Scottish team sport played with a stick and a ball, and it is particularly strong in the Highlands. Both the Prince and the Princess had a go with the stick.
The couple watched the match with the crowd. The Princess was given a rose by one of the spectators. Photo: The Royal Household
• Thirty years of beach cleaning
The next stop was Beachwatch Bute. For almost thirty years the organisation has kept the island's beaches free from litter and marine waste.
Princess Catherine on the shore during the visit to Beachwatch Bute. Photo: The Royal Household
• The pub the village bought itself
The couple also visited The Anchor Tavern in Port Bannatyne. The pub closed its doors in March 2020 and was the last one in the village.
In January 2021 residents came together and formed the Port Bannatyne Development Trust to reopen it. They raised more than 105,000 pounds through a community share offer and secured 150,000 pounds from the National Lottery funded Scottish Land Fund. In February 2022 they bought the pub.
Behind the bar at The Anchor Tavern in Port Bannatyne. Photo: The Royal Household
After an extensive refurbishment it reopened as The Anchor Tavern & Hub. It is believed to be the only pub on a Scottish island owned by the community itself.
• Meeting people along the way
Throughout the day the couple stopped several times to greet the people who had turned out.
The Princess joined in for a selfie in the rain. Photo: The Royal Household
Princess Catherine wore a dark brown trench coat by Burberry, a dark green jumper by Victoria Beckham and brown trousers by Holland Cooper.