Prince William has reportedly made a return to Scotland following Queen Elizabeth II’s death, as he travelled to Balmoral over the weekend, in order to make a personal pilgrimage to his grandmother’s much-loved holiday home.
The Prince of Wales is thought to have stayed at the Craigowan Lodge on the 50,000-acre estate. It is said to have been one of the Queen’s favourite boltholes on Balmoral, which was mostly used for informal occasions.
It will also hold a special place in William’s heart, as it was the spot he would go deer stalking with his grandfather, while holidaying at the Scottish estate with other members of the Royal Family.
Prince Philip introduced both William and Harry to deerstalking when they were both boys.
It's an act of culling elderly stags that are most likely to die during the winter months, and as a way of controlling numbers. William shot his first stag when he was 14 years old, which left him “delighted at the time”.
Deerstalking is a shared passion of many members of the Royal Family and has been a tradition throughout the generations. William's father, King Charles III, loved the sport so much that Princess Diana used to call him “my killer Wales”.
However, the last time William visited Scotland was for less than happy reasons, when he rushed from his home to be with the Queen as she passed away on September 8.
He flew to Scotland in the company of his uncles, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
However, they, alongside Prince Harry, who was travelling there alone, did not make it to Balmoral in time to see the Queen before she died.
On his return to Balmoral, a source told the Daily Mail's Richard Eden: “He stayed at Craigowan Lodge, where Her Majesty used to stay. He was there just for the weekend.”
William is thought to have not been joined in Scotland by his wife.
The couple took a key role in the days that followed the Queen’s death, marking a period of national mourning.
Since then, the Prince and Princess of Wales have travelled to Wales and Northern Ireland to carry out their royal duties.
The pair visited PIPS, a suicide prevention charity in north Belfast, where they spoke to staff about helping vulnerable people at risk of suicide and self-harm, and taking part in art therapy sessions.
Before he headed to Balmoral, William, alongside Kate, announced they had recorded a programme for BBC Radio One's Newsbeat, in order to mark World Mental Health Day, which was on October 10.
The programme will be broadcast today, and is set to focus on a discussion about the importance of mental health.
The announcement began with the Princess of Wales saying: “Newsbeat will sound slightly different' tomorrow.”
The Prince of Wales then said: “As part of World Mental Health Day, Catherine and I have recorded a special programme taking over the radio to talk about the importance of mental health.”
The couple will outline coping skills and resources available to help people alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression.
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