The importance of the outdoors on display as William and Catherine visit Moray

The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay—as William and Catherine are known in Scotland—stepped out for a series of engagements in Moray and Inverness on Thursday, highlighting the importance of nature in young people’s mental health.

The royal couple’s visit began at Burghead Primary School in Moray to view the work of outdoor activity charity Outfit Moray and participate in activities with young people.

The sporty and competitive couple couldn’t pass up an opportunity to mountain bike over a series of obstacles, with Catherine stopping at one point to help console a child who’d fallen off their bicycle.

Since the charity’s creation in 2003, the team has helped over 16,000 young people with their physical and mental health while teaching them valuable skills that they can carry with them throughout their lives.

The charity’s CEO, Tim Brown, said: “It was absolutely fantastic to have such a high-profile Royal visit, particularly in our 20^th anniversary year, and it was great to have so many young people involved as well.”

Next, William and Catherine visited Brodieshill Farm to meet with members of the Lower Speyside Young Farmers group and Farmstrong Scotland and discuss how the organisations work within rural communities and support the mental health of their residents.

They also toured the farm to view its play areas and see how the local communities benefit from the chance to connect with their children in nature.

Finally, in Inverness, the royals visited the Day1 charity to learn more about how it supports young, vulnerable people while they find jobs and provides mentorships and other training experiences.