The King has marked a series of anniversaries linked to the nuclear industry on a visit to Caithness in the north of Scotland.
Charles was in Scrabster, which is only a short distance from the UK mainlandâs most northerly point at John O Groats, to meet with key figures working in the nuclear sector.
The King has a long-standing affection with the Caithness area and is a regular summer visitor to the nearby Castle of Mey.
The visit to Scrabster harbour was hosted by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) to mark the 70th anniversary of the Dounreay nuclear site.
Established in 1955, Dounreay was a leading research centre for scientists and engineers experimenting with plutonium, uranium and other metals to generate electricity using advanced types of nuclear reactor.
That research work ended in the 1990s and the site is now Scotlandâs largest nuclear clean-up, waste management and demolition project, with the aim of leaving the land housing the redundant research facilities safe for future generations.
The royal event on Monday also marked 50 years since the formation of the Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited (PNTL) company, which has been involved in the transportation of nuclear materials between Europe and Japan for five decades.
A lone piper played as Charles arrived at the pier side on Monday morning.
Wearing a kilt, the King met crew members of the Pacific Heron, a second-generation purpose-built nuclear transport vessel.
He also unveiled a plaque on the Jubilee Pier to commemorate the PNTLâs 50th year of operations.
The third anniversary being recognised at the event was 20 years since the establishment of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), a non-departmental public body of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
In April 2005, the NDA took over the ownership of the Dounreay nuclear facility from the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA).
Jonathan Power-Higgins, the director of nuclear and assurance for the NDAâs Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS), said it was significant day for the nuclear industry across the UK.
âIt is mammoth to have His Royal Highness coming here and thatâs a testament to the industryâs importance,â he said.
Joanne Lane, the commercial director at NTS, said it was an emotional experience meeting the King.
âItâs a tremendous honour â a personal honour and honour for the business,â she said.
âPacific Nuclear Transport is 50 years old. So weâve been transporting radioactive material safely around the globe for over 50 years â over five million miles without a single incident involving radioactivity. The King was very interested in what we do.
âHe was very interested in innovation and how we use our technical expertise to do things better, more efficiently, safer.â
After unveiling the plaque on Jubilee Pier, the King attended a reception in the nearby Fish Market Hall, where he met more people involved in the areaâs nuclear industry and also local community members.
One of those he chatted to was Angus Lapslie, an engineer at the Dounreay site who has strong family links to the Royals.
The Army reserve officerâs late grandfather was Reverend Keith Angus, who was the domestic chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II at the Crathie Kirk church in Aberdeenshire.
Mr Lapslie carried the Kingâs colours of his battalion at the coronation ceremony in 2023 and his battalion was also involved in supporting the police during Queen Elizabethâs funeral the previous year.
He said the Kingâs visit was special for those working in the nuclear industry in the north of Scotland.
âItâs hugely significant to see the recognition of the length of time that Dounreay has been around for and the amount of work that weâve done in that 70 years and that we will continue to do in the future,â he said.
âParticularly given His Majestyâs close connections to Caithness, itâs a really special occasion that he was able to come and recognise it.â
At the end of the reception, Charles unveiled another plaque â this one commemorating the 70 years of the Dounreay site.
âHappy 70th birthday everybody,â the King said after the ceremonial unveiling.
âA great pleasure to see you all.â
During his visit, Charles also met local sea cadets and Royal National Lifeboat Institution volunteers from the area.
He took the opportunity to present a long service medal to the daughter of William âWingâ Munro, who volunteered with the RNLI in Scrabster for 55 years.
Dee Munro accepted the award on behalf of her father, who was unable to attend the event due to ill health.
She said it was something the family would âalways rememberâ.
âItâs been a lovely send off for my dadâs years of service and just a mark of respect and an honour to meet the King as well,â she said.
