William and Catherine undertake engagements in Scotland

The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, as William and Catherine are known in Scotland, undertook a day of engagements in the country.

William and Catherine visited Stirling and Falkirk to promote Scottish heritage traditions and the way they connect communities.

The Duke and Duchess first learned about the winter sport of curling at the National Curling Academy, where they met members of Team Great Britain who will compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics next month in Italy. They also met Paralympians who will compete in the Winter Paralympic Games in March.

As curling traces its roots back to 16th-century Scotland, the British team has won six Olympic medals and two Paralympic medals.

The pair heard how the athletes train and got to try their hand at the sport.

Picture by Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace

A trip to highlight Scottish heritage and culture would not be complete without a stop at the famous Kelpies, which they called “incredible structures.” Their Royal Highnesses learned about the history of the statues that were built in 2013 by Andy Scott.

The Prince and Princess of Wales later spent time at Radical Weavers, which is a handweaving studio and independent charity in Stirling. According to Kensington Palace, the organisation “aims to help to tackle social isolation and support people affected
by trauma and loss, by offering the opportunity to learn traditional Scottish tartan-weaving skills in a safe and welcoming environment.”

William and Catherine met the founding director, Mairi Breslin, and weavers to learn about the processes they undertake.

Picture by Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace

Their final engagement was in the former mining village of Fallin, where they visited ‘The Gothenburg’ pub. The Goth, as it is locally known, is run by the community and is one of the last remaining pubs in Scotland that run under the Gothenburg system. The system works to funnel funds from pubs and other drinking establishments back to the community.

There, they met publican Rob Donaldson, who took over the bar in 2013. He has donated 95% of the establishment’s profits to community causes.

While the Prince revealed his love of pubs, the Princess was gifted a crocheted bunny for Princess Charlotte. Catherine responded to the 70-year-old gifter, Adele Hodgson, by saying, “She will absolutely love that. She’s got lots of teddies on her bed. Well done, that must have taken a long time.Thank you so much.”