Incredible moment cyclists bump into King Charles while on a walk near Balmoral – as he says he ‘loves walking’ in the area and recalls camping there as a child
King Charles stopped and chatted to a group of cyclists who were going for a ride on the Balmoral Estate this summer, with mountain bikers calling the royal a “very nice man”.
The monarch, 74, was hiking alone at his Scottish estate when he came across a group of mountain bikers who were filming their trip for a YouTube video.
Wearing a jacket, flat cap and carrying a cane, the royal then stopped and chatted with the group before they told him they would be staying on the estate.
In typical British fashion, Charles chatted with the group about the weather and revealed some of his childhood memories on the estate, including camping with his late father and sister Princess Anne.
The video was posted to YouTube by mountain biker Andrew McAvoy who regularly shares his McTrail Rider YouTube channel.
King Charles stopped and chatted to a group of cyclists who were going for a ride on the Balmoral Estate this summer, with mountain bikers calling the royal a “very nice man”.
The monarch, 74, was hiking alone at his Scottish estate when he came across a group of mountain bikers who were filming their trip for a YouTube video.
Andrew revealed that he and his friends were staying at the Royal Lochnagar Distillery and that they direction Gelder Shiel – known as Ernie’s Bothy or the ‘royal Bothy’ – a shelter used by hikers and open to the public.
‘We will stay in both rooms tonight, he told Charles.
‘So good. I’m so happy it’s working. I think because it’s really nice. We renovated recently, but I’m trying to get more trees,” he added.
“Yes, it looks lush compared to how it was two years ago. Do you stay there sometimes? Andrew replied.
“No, we used to do it,” Charles added, “with my father and my sister. It is sometimes used today by another generation.
When asked if he was still on summer vacation, Charles replied: “Yes. It’s wonderful here.
“Gnats are horrible. It’s typical.
He added that he enjoyed walking because it was “good for the soul” despite a disappointingly brisk Scottish summer this year.
Charles continued his mother’s tradition of spending the summer at Balmoral
Wearing a jacket, flat cap and carrying a cane, the royal then stopped and chatted with the group before they told him they would be staying on the estate.
Showing his sense of humor, the king then added: “Be careful, don’t fall.”
Before leaving, Andrew had joked: “I think Charlie is there because there are guards there with big assault rifles and stuff like that – it looks pretty cool.”
“They probably wouldn’t do that if no one important was there.”
Spotting Charles in the distance, he added: “I think he’s a minor royal.”
But after meeting him, Andrew and his friends couldn’t help but comment on “what a nice man” Charles was.
“This charming man had time for us. Good. I’m annoyed because I didn’t want to worry about it but it was nice.
“He’s a nice man. He walks and he walks when everyone else is driving,” he added.
‘I’m just perplexed. It would be one thing to enjoy seeing the king with everyone. It’s just that he was wandering the trail alone.
Gelder Shiel Bothy was built after Queen Victoria purchased the house in Scotland in the late 19th century.
It serves as a dormitory for hikers and was renovated in 2015 to have running water and toilets.