William and Kate visit Mull to celebrate wedding anniversary

The Prince and Princess of Wales are spending their 14th wedding anniversary in Scotland on the Isle of Mull.

William and Kate will tour the island over two days and visit community halls that their Royal Foundation is helping to refurbish.

The couple, who married at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011, will stay at a self-catering cottage on Mull following official engagements.

William and Kate, known by their Scottish titles the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay when in Scotland, met while studying at the University of St Andrews.

This is the first time Kate has been on an overnight stay during an official engagement since her cancer treatment.

The couple were greeted by more than 200 cheering tourists and local residents who had lined the main street of Tobermory, where popular BBC children's TV series Balamory was filmed.

The princess hasn't travelled too far from home in Windsor – so to come to Mull and Iona and spend some time here is significant.

We're told by those who work with the couple that they had wanted to visit Mull for a long time.

It's not hard to see why – its natural beauty is on show everywhere.

In recent months the princess, in particular, has spoken of how connecting with nature has given her strength.

She will get a chance to do that here during several engagements – from visiting a local croft to taking part in some outdoor learning with schoolchildren in an ancient woodland.

It is exactly 14 years since the couple got married in Westminster Abbey with thousands lining the street for their wedding procession up to Buckingham Palace.

The celebrations will be a bit less grand today.

The prince and princess will spend their wedding anniversary night in a self-catering holiday cottage on Mull – a decision we're told they've made to support the tourism industry on the Scottish islands.

Mull, on Scotland's west coast, is part of lands once ruled by the Lord of the Isles - one of a number of Scottish titles William inherited from his father when Charles became King.

The visit began with a tour of Aros Hall, home to a community fridge which saves food from landfill, a charity shop and a children's indoor play area.

Maggie Buchanan, an Aros hall committee member, wished William a happy anniversary and when she told him "it's nice you're spending it on Mull", he replied: "Yes, nice."

Wielding a nail gun, the future King and Queen helped build a kitchen cabinet to house a community fridge for donated food and helped to paint delicate flowers on a children's wall mural in the hall.

As the princess helped out, she told surprised staff she had received a chainsaw for Christmas so was happy to get stuck into the refurbishment.

Islander Sorley Carmichael, 16, made the impromptu decision to play his bagpipes outside Aros Hall to welcome the royal visitors.

"I was little bit nervous but I'm quite used to playing in front of big crowds. It was a really good opportunity," he said.

"I wasn't asked to play but just thought I'd come and let them see some Scottish culture."

The couple then went on a longer than planned walkabout along Main Street, stopping to talk to the crowds who had been waiting.

They included Jim Thornton, from West Yorkshire, who spoke to the princess about their shared experience of cancer treatment.

"My opening words in the conversation were from one cancer survivor to another, well done" he said, "she shook my hand….it was so amazing."

The prince and princess reminisced about their visit to the island when they were students at St Andrews University, telling volunteers and hall committee members how they visited Tobermory almost 25 years ago.

The couple had been friends before embarking on a romance.

William said: "It was 2003 when we were here. We had a lovely time here - it's wonderful."

He said that on their visit to Scotland, they were "trying to find out what challenges there are, what we can do to help".

The royal couple then visited the nearby harbour to chat to makers and creators at Tobermory Producers Market, trying local produce including cheese and seaweed chutney.

This was followed by a visit to a combined croft and restaurant on the west coast of Mull, where they learned about sustainable farming.

The couple toured some of the croft's 50 acres of land, saw the Hebridean sheep farmed on site, and helped to select garden produce for the menu.

They also helped prepare a "community feast", cooking outdoors with croft owner Jeanette Lynn and her husband Jack Shaw. The princess learned how to cook charred haggis dumplings with whisky.

Children from Ulva Primary School then joined the royal couple for the feast.

William and Kate will spend time privately at Pennyghael Community Hall and on the island of Iona after taking the public ferry from Mull and meeting those who use and run the service.

The visit aims to highlight the importance of communities and protecting and championing the natural environment.

The Royal Foundation's Community Impact Programme is providing undisclosed grants for the renovation of facilities at Aros Hall.

Communal spaces will also be updated and roof repairs undertaken at Pennyghael Community Hall.

Interior designer Banjo Beale, presenter of the BBC's Designing The Hebrides programme and a Mull resident, will work with islanders to ensure community-owned centres in Tobermory and the village of Pennyghael reflect the area's culture.

He said: "It's an absolute joy to be working with the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales to redesign and preserve these vital community spaces.

"Together, we're not just restoring old walls - we're reimagining what's possible when community and creativity come together. I'm excited to breathe new life into beloved buildings and celebrate the island's warmth, resilience and quiet magic."