King Charles is attending an important reception in Scotland today to mark the 70th anniversary of the Dounreay Nuclear site, despite a diary clash preventing a meeting between the monarch and US President Donald Trump.
The King, 76, has made his presence at a reception, taking place at Scrabster Harbour for Caithness Communities.
Hosted by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, the reception is marking the 70th anniversary of the Dounreay Nuclear site, the 50th anniversary of the Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited (PNTL), and the 20th Anniversary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.
The royal engagement comes as Buckingham Palace confirmed the King would have no time to greet Donald Trump, who has come to Scotland to discuss a potential ceasefire in Gaza with Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
King Charles travels to Scotland despite diary clash preventing Donald Trump meeting
|PA
On arrival at Scrabster Harbour, Jubilee Pier, the King met the crew of the Pacific Heron, the second-generation purpose-built nuclear transport vessel, and unveiled a plaque for the ship.
King Charles is also meeting local sea cadets and Royal National Lifeboat Institution volunteers from the area.
Continuing to Fish Market Hall, the King will spend time meeting staff from the nuclear industry and local community members from Thurso, before unveiling a plaque to commemorate His Majesty’s visit.
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is a non-departmental public body of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, formed by the Energy Act 2004. It evolved from the Coal and Nuclear Liabilities Unit of the Department of Trade and Industry.
Donald Trump pictured in Scotland during his trip
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Dounreay was the UK’s centre of fast reactor research and development between 1955 and 1994.
It is now described as Scotland’s largest nuclear clean-up and demolition project.
In April 2005, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) took over the ownership of the Dounreay nuclear facility in Caithness on the north coast of Scotland from the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA).
Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited (PNTL) has been operating for 50 years between Europe and Japan and has the most experienced nuclear transport crews in the world.
King Charles met members of the public ahead of a reception for Caithness Communities hosted by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority at Scrabster Harbour
|PA
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The purpose-built vessels are three of the most advanced cargo vessels in operation.
PNTL devotes enormous effort to maintaining a flawless nuclear safety record and is continuously looking for ways to improve the sustainability of its shipping operations.
King Charles's visit comes after he congratulated the Lionesses on their victory against Spain on Sunday.
He wrote: "Well done, Lionesses. The next task is to bring home the World Cup in 2027 if you possibly can!"