THE Prince of Wales made a fitting arrival in a Foxhound armoured vehicle as he met soldiers and their families to present medals at Fort George.
Charles, known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland, is royal colonel of the Black Watch, 3rd Battalion T he Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 Scots), which is based at Fort George near Inverness in the Highlands.
Having completed a six-month peacekeeping mission in Cyprus in 2015, they are now training to operate the Foxhound armoured vehicle for its new role as Light Mechanised Infantry.
Charles stepped out of the Foxhound on Wednesday to be met by the Lord Lieutenant of Inverness-shire, Donald Cameron of Lochiel.
Dressed in the regimental uniform with the distinctive red hackle of the Black Watch, the royal visitor was welcomed into the fort by an honour guard and the sound of the battalion's pipe and drums.
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He viewed displays of vehicles and equipment, and spoke to soldiers, officers and their families before presenting medals to seven soldiers and a civil servant.
Among those being honoured were Sergeant Duncan Blake from Forfar, Angus,who received the cumulative campaign service medal for his 12 years with the battalion, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland.
He said: "It was a proud moment to get my medal from His Royal Highness.
"I've never had any medals gifted to me before, I usually get them in the mail because I've been away. It's a great honour."
Sergeant Jonetani Lawaci, originally from Fiji but now living in Inverness, was given medals for long service and good conduct, and said Charles was a "really-down-to-earth man".
Charles posed for a battalion photograph before the soldiers lined the route of his departure and gave three cheers as he passed.
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The battalion's Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Alasdair Steele, said the royal visit was a "huge honour".
He said: "Not only does the Duke of Rothesay have a military connection to us as the colonel of our regiment, which we hold really dear, he's got a deep personal connection.
"It means a huge amount to soldiers and their families to meet him and to see him."
He said the Foxhounds, such as the one Charles arrived in, have been training in the north-east of Scotland and are aimed at being able to deploy quickly anywhere in the world.
He said: "It gives more protection, more reach, more range and the ability to move quickly into an area and deploy either in peace enforcement operations or something a little harder."
