On Tuesday, August 12, 2025, Chief Philip Farquharson, 17th of Invercauld and Monaltrie, Chief of Clan Farquharson and Chieftain of the Ballater Highland Games, welcomed His Majesty King Charles III to Station Square in Ballater. The King inspected the Laird’s banner, which displayed his new Coat of Arms, with explanations provided by Gordon Casley of the Heraldry Society of Scotland. The Arms were presented on banners by Clan Farquharson UK committee members, Colonels of the Invercauld Highlanders, Gary Humphries and Randall Finlay.
His Majesty then received a royal salute from Captain Fraser (Honorary Vice President, Ballater Highland Games), before inspecting the Highlanders on parade, which included troops from Invercauld, Monaltrie, Atholl, Lonach, Duff, and the Balaklava Company, 5 SCOTS. Music was provided by Scots College, Sydney, Australia.
Following the formal proceedings, the Chief and His Majesty mingled with large groups of guests and members of the public, both outside in Station Square and inside at a reception hosted by Clan Farquharson UK in Victoria Hall. Just days before retreating to Balmoral for his annual summer holiday, King Charles III made a quiet but meaningful appearance in Ballater, Scotland — and most people nearly missed it. The monarch, 77, visited the village to inspect the new banner of Clan Farquharson, the family who originally sold Balmoral to the royals in 1852.
The King’s visit came ahead of last summer’s Ballater Highland Games, a beloved Scottish tradition featuring piping competitions, Highland dancing, and the famed Hill Race. While there, he also met members of the Invercauld Highlanders and the Pipes and Drums of the Scots College, Sydney. This stop wasn’t just ceremonial — it tied directly to Balmoral’s royal history and Charles’s personal love for Scotland’s heritage and conservation.
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