A military welcome to Balmoral as the King begins his summer stay in Scotland

The King has been welcomed to Balmoral Castle by a guard of honour formed by soldiers from The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

King Charles inspected Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, outside the gates of the Aberdeenshire estate.

The ceremony traditionally marks the sovereign's arrival for the royal family's summer residence at Balmoral, a custom followed by the late Queen throughout her reign and continued by the King.

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The King, who is Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, spoke to soldiers as he walked along the ranks before meeting its Shetland pony mascot, Corporal Cruachan IV, accompanied on parade by his handler, Corporal Rory Stewart.

Major Tommy Blair, who is in his second year commanding Balaklava Company, said: "Welcoming His Majesty the King to Balmoral is a huge privilege for Balaklava Company.

"While Balaklava has a huge amount of ceremonial experience in Scotland and the wider UK, we have welcomed a number of new soldiers to the company in the past year and, for some, this was their first encounter with our Colonel-in-Chief," he said.

The King later spoke to members of the public who had gathered near the castle gates to watch the ceremony.

Music was provided by the pipes, drums and bugles of the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

The musicians were led by Drum Major Sergeant William Crawford and Pipe Major Colour Sergeant Joe Davies.

CSgt Davies said it was his first time leading the 2 Scots pipes, drums and bugles at the annual ceremony.

"It's always a privilege to perform for the arrival of His Majesty The King, and this year was particularly special for me as it was my first time leading the 2 Scots Pipes, Drums and Bugles," he said. 

"I've had the honour of taking part in this ceremony a number of times throughout my career, but leading the band made it an especially memorable experience."

Balaklava Company began its spell as the royal guard at Balmoral in July and will remain there until October.