Chris Hipkins talks to the Herald about his time in the United Kingdom during the historic coronation of King Charles. Video / Jenni Mortimer
A group of Scottish cyclists had a regal encounter when they bumped into a real monarch of the glen – stopping for a chat with King Charles III walking alone in the Cairngorm Mountains.
Mountainbiker Andrew McAvoy was recording an adventure with two friends near Lochnagar in Scotland when they had a surprise meeting with the King.
It was a conversation so unlikely that one of his fellow cyclists had to ask “Did that just happen?”, even after they shared the video to the YouTube channel McTrail Rider and 2.5 million viewers.
They were heading to Gelder Shiel, one of the bothies, or shelters, on the Balmoral estate, last month to camp the night when they noticed a big group of black Range Rovers roll past with their headlights flashing.
“I reckon those were the royals,” they joked, waving the cars past.
The public moorland near the Balmoral estate is open for anyone to roam and the royals are said to be fans of outdoor pursuits, mainly pursuing the local wildlife. There are various hunting lodges on the 20,000-hectare estate.
Long after the cars had passed, a solitary figure approached on the dirt track. It was Charles, apparently preferring to walk than travel with the entourage.
Stopping to talk with the cyclists, he appeared to have all the time in the world. Even in a swarm of midges, or small biting flies.
The 75-year-old explained he liked to walk at every opportunity, saying it was preferable to mountain-biking.
When they explained they were staying in the bothy, the King became quite animated.
“So good. I’m so glad it works,” he said.
“We renovated recently, but I’m trying to get more trees to grow around it.”
When asked if he still visited the bothy, the King said he had left that to younger royals.
“No, but we used to camp with my father and sister,” he said. “Occasionally it is used nowadays, by another generation that likes to do things like that.”
However, he said it was a favourite spot for a barbecue or a picnic, wishing McAvoy and friends a safe cycle.
McAvoy said he was “annoyed” for being as excited to meet the King as he was.
“I’m not a big fan of the royal family. In fact, I suppose I could be described as anti-establishment,” McTavish wrote of the encounter.
“That doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy meeting King Charles.
Queen Victoria used to stay in the Corrour Bothy in the Royal Cairngorms. Photo / Ian Murray, CC
After their moment of chit-chat in the royal bubble, the riders were brought back to reality, encountering several more all-wheel-drive vehicles and armed men further up the road.
“While there were no guards within sight of the camera, please know that the King very much had plenty of security nearby and numerous vehicles had scouted the route the King was walking before and after him,” wrote McTavish.
“He had his own space, but still very much protected, as you would expect for a King.”
Glas Allt Shiel is a royal lodge on the banks of Loch Muick. It has a bothy behind it. Photo / Martin Bennie, Unsplash
What are the Royal Bothies?
Across the more remote parts of Scotland, bothies are backcountry huts and cottages for use by mountaineers and trampers.
From Kearvaig bothy in Scotland’s most northerly bay, t the white sands of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides, you’ll find these traditional shelters all over.
There are twelve Royal Bothies in the Cairngorms, all on the Balmoral estate.
Gelder Shiel, also known as Ernie’s Bothy, is an old stable and single-room stone hut, which was renovated in 2015.
Corrour Bothy might be the best known and was reportedly one of Queen Victoria’s favourites. There are drawings of the view from the simple stone hut in diaries made by the the Queen in 1867, noting that the party “had our luncheon and sketched. The lights were most beautiful.” Situated in the Lairig Ghru mountain pass, it’s one of the most scenic and regularly used mountain huts in Scotland.
Glas Allt Shiel on Loch Muick is perhaps the grandest of the lot. The granite outbuilding gets mistaken for Balmoral Castle itself. The summer house is for royals only – the bothy for commoners is round the back.
