Coronation of King Charles III: Scotland's royal heartland around Balmoral takes coronation celebrations into its own hands

Scotland’s royal heartland celebrates the King’s coronation ceremony.

With its own “coronation committee”, it is perhaps no surprise the picturesque town of Ballater showed its dedication to newly-crowned King Charles III during Saturday’s historic ceremony.

While celebrations were a little different than the pomp and pageantry of Westminster Abbey, some 500 miles away, locals and visitors in the Aberdeenshire spot, steeped in history with the royal family, celebrated the monarch in their own style.

Union Jack bunting draped between tree branches around the town centre’s Glenmuick Church, while shops displayed photos of Charles and Camilla. A nearby flowerbed boasted a stunning royal crown sculpture made out of willow branches.

The pipes and drums perform at Balmoral Castle to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles the III and Queen Camilla. Picture: Katharine Hay

"The King absolutely loves willow,” said David Cobban, a keen royalist and chairman of the newly-formed Ballater Coronation Committee. He added: “We also have a flower arch in the town, which was made specially for the coronation. It’s similar to the arch that was here for the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902.”

The floral sculpture stood proudly outside old Ballater Railway Station, once visited by Queen Victoria, Tsar Nicholas II and, of course, the newly crowned monarch. The building was devastated by a fire in 2015, but with with funding support from Charles’s charity – The Prince’s Trust – it now runs as a cafe.

Just across from the station is the Victoria and Albert Halls where locals and visitors gathered to watch a live stream of the King’s coronation at Westminster Abbey. Fans of the monarch, dressed in red, blue and white, took their seats at Union Jack themed tables set up in front of a large screen.

Royalist John Summers, 76, pulled up a chair with his wife Alison, 71. The pair had driven about 70 miles from Perth to watch the screening in Ballater.

David Cobban, chairman of the Ballater Coronation Committee, with his wife Wendy at the town's Albert Hall where the coronation is being screened (pic: Katharine Hay)

"My interest in the royal family started back when I was about 17, in 1964, when I was winner of the gold Duke of Edinburgh Award,” Mr Summers said, laying out a Union Jack-themed picnic on one of the tables.

"I enjoy the royal events, particularly in Ballater. I was here for the Jubilee celebrations last year and the community always does so much, it makes the trip worth it. I was also brought up in Deeside, so I have always had an affinity with this part of Scotland.”

Summers, who was chief executive of the charity Keep Scotland Beautiful, spoke about the time he meet Charles’s mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, in 2006 when he was awarded an OBE at the Palace of Holyrood House in Edinburgh for his services to the environment.

"t was very special to meet the Queen in Scotland, and Charles,” he said. “I’ve always admired him for being way ahead of others when it comes to working to help the environment.”

John Summers, 76, (front left) and Raymond Emslie, 73 behind with their wives Margaret Emslie (front right) and Alison Summers, 71. The group of friends are celebrating the coronation at the Albert Hall in Ballater where the coronation is being screened. (pic: Katharine Hay)

Several spectators in the room said one of their highlights of the screening was spotting Aberdeenshire’s Lord Lieutenant Sandy Manson and chief executive of Aberdeenshire Council Jim Savege sitting in front of TV duo Ant and Dec.

"It has honestly been one of the highlights of the day seeing a screen grab of the four of them sitting together in Westminster Abbey,” Cobban added.

Down the road in the town’s Bridge Street, Alisdair Cassie, owner of A.Cassie hardware shop, reminisced about meeting the newly crowned King on his royal visits to the town.

The 78-year-old, eager to get back to watching the ceremony in between serving customers, said: “I met him about three times last year. He’s very easy to talk to and get on with, and he has a great sense of humour.

A sculpture of a crown made out of willow - a favourite of Charles's according to locals - in a Ballater flowerbed (pic: Katharine Hay)

"I was watching the coronation on television and all seemed to be well. He’s been a huge help to the town, especially after we had bad flooding. He put a lot of money in to support us and we thank him for that.”

About eight miles up the River Dee at Balmoral Castle, the royal family’s Scotland residence, patriotic punters headed through the main entrance to celebrate the coronation. The mood at the front gates, donned with royal-themed bunting, was a sharp contrast to what it was eight months ago in the days after the late Queen Elizabeth II died.

“It does feel a lot more joyous this time round,” said Anna Byrne, who was standing at the castle gates and had visited Balmoral in September last year to pay tribute to the late Queen.

"There certainly isn’t as big a crowd this time round. I guess it’s because it’s all really happening in London. But the mood seems good. I guess it’s a time to welcome a new monarch.”

Aleise Melvin, 30, and her girlfriend Nikki Craig, 32, were certainly some of the joyful visitors visiting the royal grounds to mark the King’s coronation.

Posing for photos in front of Balmoral Castle with her dog Mylo, who had a Union Jack themed scarf on, Ms Melvin said: “We just love the royal family. We are from Larkhall and the whole town is obsessed with them.

The willow crown in Ballater (pic: Katharine Hay)

"All our family down there are celebrating, but we decided to make a weekend of it and come up here.”

Having flown all the way over from Christchurch in New Zealand, Coral Marquez-Mazlin, 45, and her husband Rudi, 51, were also showing their support for the King’s historic ceremony.

Dressed in a kilt to match his wife’s tartan sash, Mr Marquez-Mazlin said: “The older I have got, the more the royal family grows on me. I find the royal events very unifying. They keep the country going.”

The couple said they travelled up from London and noted royal celebrations appeared to decrease the more north they got, until they arrived in Aberdeenshire.

"We were thinking about the Queen’s funeral and just how the joyous celebration today is very different to then,” they said.

The Ballater and District Pipe Band played a salute to Charles to crowds gathered outside the castle at 1pm, shortly after he was officially crowned King south of the border.

Norma Malcolm, who was visiting from Aberdeen and dressed in a Union Jack hat, said: “I am so glad we have a King rather than a president.”

Local councillor Geva Blackett said the coronation had brought “joy and renewed optimism to so many”.

"In Royal Deeside, they are so well liked and respected and watching the crowds in London makes you realise our monarchy is vital to our future,” she said.

"While our celebrations here may be rather quieter and with less pageantry, they are just as heartfelt. Long live King Charles and Queen Camilla – today has been both happy and glorious.”