King Charles is spending another summer in Scotland.
On Aug. 3, the British monarch, 75, stepped out at the Mey Highlands Games, an annual celebration of the culture and talent of the North Highlands. The event was first held for the Queen Mother’s 70th birthday in 1970, and King Charles’ grandmother enjoyed it so much that she encouraged them to make it an annual gathering.
King Charles sported a traditional kilt, as he often does during visits to Scotland, for the outing at the John O’Groats Showground, where he took a front-row seat under a tent to watch some performances. He and the rest of those gathered seemed especially delighted by some young dancers in colorful kilts and matching knee socks.
King Charles attends the Mey Highland Games in Scotland on August 3, 2024.
Euan Cherry/Getty
The sovereign, who is chieftain of the games, also watched traditional Highland sports including the hammer throw, sheaf toss and stone put. The finale of the event was the tug of war competition, and King Charles presented the trophy to the winning team.
“A wonderful day at the Mey Games!” the royal family’s official social media pages captioned event photos.
King Charles attends the Mey Highland Games in Scotland on August 3, 2024.
Euan Cherry/Getty
The following day, King Charles wore another kilt as he attended the Sunday service at Canisbay Church in Caithness near the Castle of Mey.
The King resumed public-facing royal duties in late April after spending several months working largely behind the scenes amid his cancer diagnosis. He was eager to return to a regular schedule, telling people during an outing that he was glad to be “out of my cage.”
King Charles attends church in Scotland on August 4, 2024.
Robert MacDonald/PA Images via Getty
It’s likely that King Charles will spend most of the remainder of summer in Scotland, following the British royal family’s longstanding tradition of taking a break from the spotlight in late August. He has a home on the Birkhall Estate, and the royals gather annually at Balmoral Castle for activities like hunting, fishing and horseback riding.
Since becoming the monarch upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, in September 2022, King Charles has kept up the tradition of heading to Balmoral in Scotland. The history-making Queen traveled to the private 50,000-acre estate each July and ensconced there until October. There, she balanced work and play, continuing to receive her famous “red boxes” full of documents daily while spending quality time with loved ones.
“She deserved that time,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith previously told PEOPLE. “Balmoral has always been a place of rejuvenation and reflection. She has been going there since she was a baby.”
“It’s where Prince Philip proposed and where she had her honeymoon. It’s a place bursting with memories,” the author added.
From left: Princess Anne, Prince Philip, Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Sept. 8, 1960. Bettmann
Princess Eugenie said of the escape in the 2016 documentary Our Queen at Ninety, “I think Granny is the most happy there. I think she really, really loves the Highlands.”
While many members of the royal family will travel to Scotland for the summer retreat, sources that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were not invited. While Harry, 39, grew up going to Balmoral each year, it’s believed that Meghan, 43, has never visited the royal residence. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex relocated to her home state of California after stepping back from their royal roles in 2020.
