The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay spent an hour and a half in the town meeting locals and finding out more about the Bute Healthy Living Initiative, Rothesay Library and the progress of the inner harbour redevelopment.
On a beautiful, sunny mornin
g, well-wishers gathered outside the couple's first stop, at the Moat Centre, more than half an hour before the royal helicopter was due to land a short distance away, determined to get the best spots and to have a chance to meet Prince Charles and his wife on the Duchess's first ever visit to Rothesay.
Before long the helicopter was buzzing overhead, and within minutes the couple's limousine rolled up outside the centre in Stuart Street. And so keen were they to meet their public that as soon as they stepped out of the car, they bypassed the official welcome and headed straight for the crowd across the street.
With a tight schedule to follow, though, the Duke and Duchess soon headed indoors to the Moat Centre to be introduced to Yennie van Oostende and Lorna Crawford, from the Healthy Living Initiative, and the protocol party, including island councillor Isobel Strong, wearing the Rothesay provost's chain in her official capacity as depute provost of Argyll and Bute Council.
The centre's main hall was adorned with displays showing details of the many different projects run by the Healthy Living Initiative - plants from the allotments on Meadows Road, healthy food from the Green Tree Café and pupils from St Andrew's Primary, physical activity sessions, therapeutic care, art therapy and even Indian head massages.
The Duke and Duchess showed a great deal of interest in every one of the displays, and took the time to chat in some depth to many of those taking part - and it was clear that the participants enjoyed the conversations as much as the royal couple.
After the Moat Centre's main hall the couple took a short trip to the Green Tree Café next door to meet the staff from the café and the people who take part in the Healthy Living Initiative's lunch club.
The couple each enjoyed a refreshing cuppa and a chat - and were even serenaded by the talents of accordionist Dave Sandilands and singer Jenny Brown - before a quick visit to Rothesay Library, where Patricia Pollock, Janice McLaughlin and Patricia McArthur showed the couple pictures of royal visits from years gone by, as covered in the pages of The Buteman.
Then it was back in the car and down through the town to the Discovery Centre and, for many, the highlight of the whole proceedings - the presentation of a posy of flowers to the Duchess, handed over by six-year-old Blane Colman. Blane was dressed in her full Highland dancing outfit - and even impressed the Duchess with an impromptu dance!
Deputy lieutenant Lyn Bulloch was among those who introduced the couple to Cllr Len Scoullar, Bute Community Council chairman Donnie MacLeod, Bute Marketing and Tourism chairman Tim Saul, Douglas Graham of Bute Fabrics, Peter Timms of CalMac and Flexitech, Fyne Homes director Alan McDougall, Rothesay Creamery manager John Miller, Alex Bennett, president of the Rotary Club of Rothesay, Jean McKirdy, the president of the Bute Federation of the SWRI, Ronald Robertson junior and Discovery Centre manager Hazel Mulholland.
A stroll through the Esplanade gardens gave the couple the chance to meet Argyll and Bute Council's amenity services staff on their way to the slightly raised viewing platform next to the old weighbridge in Guildford Square, giving a view across the 'work in progress' that is the inner harbour.
Plans of the project were provided to give the Duke and Duchess the chance to visualise what the harbour area will look like when the work is completed, while Mike Moffatt from Argyll and Bute Council, Robert Clegg from Scott Wilson, Balfour Beatty project manager Keith MacLean and harbourmaster Steven Neilson were on hand to explain the long and complicated work involved in the scheme.
And then, not much more than 90 minutes after they had arrived, the royal couple's public visit was over, and they departed in their limousine for a private visit to Mount Stuart - and leaving behind, as did Prince Charles when he last visited the town in August 2006, nothing but smiles on the faces of the locals and plenty of happy memories of Rothesay's hour and a half in the royal spotlight.
* See a selection of our images from the big day at www.buteman.fotopic.net.
