King Charles appeared delighted today as he was pictured attending a Sunday church service in Caithness during his annual break from Scotland.
The royal, 74, mingled with other worshipers outside Canisbay Church, which is the most northerly parish church in mainland Scotland.
Charles spends the first week of August at Castle Mey in Caithness, the former home of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, before being joined at Birkhall by his wife.
He donned traditional Scottish dress for church today, opting for a green, blue, red and black tartan kilt.
Her Majesty completed the attire with red socks, a tweed blazer and waistcoat and a traditional sporran.
King Charles appears to be howling with laughter as he is pictured after a service at Canisbay Church in Caithness
The royal donned a traditional kilt for his outing today, also wearing red knee-high socks and a sporran
A small purple flower was tucked into her buttonhole, while a clutch, which also appeared to feature a tartan print, was the finishing touch.
The royal was spotted walking with parishioners, as well as the Reverend Janet Easton Berry, smiling and chatting, even appearing to howl with laughter at one point.
After the service, the royal was pictured planting a tree in the church grounds.
He was seen smiling as he threw himself into the dirty work, holding a spade and digging a hole in the ground to plant the tree in.
His appearance today follows yesterday’s engagement, when he attended his first Mey Highland Games since becoming monarch.
For this outing, to John O’Groats village in Wick, he chose to wear a kilt made from Prince Charles Edward Stewart tartan.
The Prince Charles Edward Stewart tartan is a variant of the Royal Stewart tartan, which traces its origins to the House of Stewart, according to the Scottish Register of Tartans.
He paired the traditional kilt with a green tweed jacket and matching waistcoat and chunky red woolen socks.
The King (pictured, left) appeared in high spirits as he socialized with worshipers on his outing earlier today
Charles spends the first week of August at Castle Mey in Caithness, after which he will be joined by his wife Camilla at Birkhall
The monarch (pictured, left) was pictured walking and talking with Reverend Janet Easton (pictured, right)
After the service, Charles planted a tree in the church grounds, and was snapped brandishing the shovel
Good mood: King Charles smiled after the church service, before the tree planting ceremony
The royal didn’t seem to mind getting dirty and got stuck digging a hole in which to plant the sapling
Arriving at the event, the King shook hands with members of the public, before taking a front row seat to watch the action.
The event, founded in 1970 and considered the smallest of the Highland Games, began with traditional dances.
There are more than 60 Highland Games in Scotland every year – but the Braemar Gathering, held every September, was a highlight for the late Queen.
Last year, Her Majesty was unable to attend the event due to health issues, meaning Charles had to replace his mother at the last minute.
Palace sources told the Daily Mail this week there were no plans to mark the first anniversary of the Queen’s death on September 8.
Her Majesty is expected to spend the day quietly reflecting on the moment at Birkhall, her home on the Balmoral estate.
While various family members will have come and gone from Balmoral for the summer holidays in the usual way, Their Majesties will spend September 8 “quietly and privately”, as Queen Elizabeth did on the occasion of the anniversary of his father’s death, they pointed out.
Today’s appearance at the church (pictured) follows the King’s engagement at the Mey Games yesterday afternoon
The King (pictured, left) is currently on his annual summer trip to Scotland and will soon be joined by Camilla
As well as engaging with human parishioners, the monarch was also pictured petting a dog outside the church
Charles seemed delighted as he admired the little dog, who had been transported to the service in a large holdall
Queen Elizabeth always spent the anniversary of the death of her late father, King George VI, privately at Sandringham.
Among the extended Windsor clan due to stay at Balmoral this year are the Prince and Princess of Wales with George, Charlotte and Louis; the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their teenage children, Louise and James.
Also expected are Princess Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, as well as her son Peter Phillips and daughter Zara Tindall, both with their offspring; and Charles’ cousin, Lady Sarah Chatto.
Charles continues a tradition by visiting the Mey Highland Games which his grandmother used to attend every year before her death in 2002.
The Queen Mother had strong ties to Caithness after buying Castle Mey in 1952 and became a patron of the games soon after.
