The Duke of Rothesay to Undertake Engagements in Aberdeenshire

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The Prince of Wales meets residents and businesses affected by Storm Dennis February, 2020.
The Prince of Wales meets residents and businesses affected by Storm Dennis February, 2020.

THE DUKE OF ROTHESAY WILL UNDERTAKE ENGAGEMENTS IN ABERDEENSHIRE 

Tuesday 5th October 2021 

Engagement 1: The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, will visit Amity Fishing Company.

Led by industry leader Jimmy Buchan, star of the BBC’s BAFTA award-winning Trawlermen TV series, the Amity Fishing Company sources only the best catch from the icy waters around the Scottish coastline using over 40 years of experience in the fishing industry. 

Amity Fish Company is proud to be an approved Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) supplier, keeping the chain of custody from sea to plate. Already supplying the offshore sector with MSC certified fish, Amity is a great advocate of championing the responsible fishing scheme which is an industry approved standard which their vessels work to. Well-known within the industry, Amity provides an opportunity to seek and source their customers’ chosen seafood so they have the confidence to promote the best Scottish seafood in their business.

https://www.amityfish.co.uk 

Engagement 2: The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, will visit Rora Dairy. 

Rora dairy produces a range of pure Scottish yogurts on their organic family farm in Aberdeenshire. It was established in 2017 by Jane Mackie and her husband Bruce. The yogurts are made with organic milk and live culture in small batches without the addition of unnecessary sugar or additives. They use a range of Scottish fruits to flavour the yogurts, reducing the companies carbon footprint. All of the milk used in the yogurts are from the farm’s free-roaming grass-fed cows. Sustainability is at the heart of the brand; Scottish wind powers the farm and the dairy is powered by the sun. 

The Farm 
Middleton of Rora is a 565-acre farm, located in the northeast corner of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, close to the fishing town of Peterhead and about 30 miles north of Aberdeen. Bruce Mackie took over the farm from his father in 2008. He immediately looked to improve the land for the benefit of wildlife, building a wind turbine, planting seven new woodlands and creating a network of small native woodlands joined by wildlife corridors and hedges, linked with waterways. Biodiversity has increased significantly on the farm as a result of these developments. 

The herd currently comprises 250 pedigree dairy cows: Holstein Friesians with some Jersey and Norwegian Red. They produce well over 2 million litres of milk each year; Jane and Bruce believe it’s their attention to the cows’ wellbeing and welfare which helps them make delicious, natural yogurt. They grow a variety of crops, grass, wheat and barley which is fed to the cows to supplement their rich grazing. In 2016, a robotic milking shed was built with the help of Nico Vreeburg of Cow Signals, which has won several awards. This development is part of work to optimise the wellbeing of the dairy herd, which in turn increases yield. 

In 2021, the farm completed organic accreditation. This means that Rora dairy yogurt is all made with organic milk. 

https://www.roradairy.co.uk

Engagement 3: The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, will visit Glen Garioch Distillery. 

One of the oldest operating distilleries in Scotland – and its most easterly – Glen Garioch has been making its Single Malt Scotch Whisky in the historic market town of Oldmeldrum, near Aberdeen in North East Scotland, since 1797. 

Glen Garioch is currently undergoing a renovation and upgrade project, following a £6 million investment from Beam Suntory, to reinstate more traditional production processes and reduce the distillery’s carbon footprint. 

The project includes the reintroduction of floor maltings as well as the installation of direct-fired heating to the wash still – traditional methods still used by only a handful of distilleries. The return to these traditional processes is a sign of Glen Garioch’s deep respect for its rich heritage, as well as the complexity and quality of its small batch, hand-crafted Highland single malt. 

To complement this return to tradition, Glen Garioch has developed a state-of-the-art, highly efficient and safe method for direct fired distillation, which is expected to reduce the distillery’s carbon footprint by around 15%. 

Beam Suntory is proud to employ more than 360 people in Scotland, the large majority of whom are involved in the production of its renowned Scotch whiskies at distilleries such as Glen Garioch. 

https://www.glengarioch.com

Engagement 4: The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, will visit Inverurie Farmers Market and local shops around the Town Centre. 

Inverurie Farmers’ Market is a monthly market featuring produce from the local area. It has been run by local volunteer, Ron Reid, since 2003 and Ron can be always be spotted on market day wearing his trademark red boiler suit. The market is open to the public from 9am to 1pm every second Saturday of the month. This Tuesday’s market is a trial to see what response there would be to a weekday market in the town. Stallholders include: 

Ingram’s Aberdeenshire – Sandy Ingram 
A family business specialising in the production of the finest quality pork from their farm near Newburgh in Aberdeenshire. 

Udny Provender – Dr Liz Campbell 
A small, local, family business, making and selling local honey, craft, shrubs and flavoured vinegars near Ellon in Aberdeenshire. 

Wark Farm Pies – Laurel Foreman & Sabrina March 
Craft pies produced on a farm near Alford in Aberdeenshire using fillings from Royal Warrant Holders, Belted Galloway Beef and Hebridean Lamb. 

His Royal Highness will also meet representatives from: 

Grampian Opportunities – Linda Singer 
Grampian Opportunities promote learning, volunteering & employment opportunities. They also provide support for disabled people, people with mental health problems or other long-term conditions. They also launched their own Foodbank ‘Inverurie Community Larder’ within their premises earlier this year. 

Inverurie Community Allotment – Archie Peebles 
Inverurie Mens Shed was opened earlier this year thanks to land being donated by J George Ross of J G Ross Bakers Ltd. 

About Inverurie 
Inverurie is in the valley of the River Don at the centre of Aberdeenshire and is known locally as the “Heart of the Garioch”. It sits between the River Don and the River Ury and is only 10 miles from the imposing hill of Bennachie. The town centre is dominated by the grand Town Hall, built in 1862. In the middle of “The Square” as it is known locally is the ‘Inverurie & District War Memorial’, capped by a lone Gordon Highlander looking out over the town. Inverurie is very much still a market town and has a thriving retail sector with independent shops alongside national retailers. The town has recorded a higher occupancy of retail and commercial units than before the pandemic. 

https://www.facebook.com/inveruriefarmersmarket/

Engagement 5: The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, will visit Garioch Heritage Centre. 

Garioch Heritage Centre opened in October 2017 and houses the collections of Garioch Heritage Society. The Society has been researching the area’s history and gathering artefacts since 1987. Housed in the former locomotive works, the Centre tells the story of life in the Garioch from earliest settlement to the present day and sheds light on the domestic and working lives of local people. 

The upstairs gallery is constantly being reviewed and further enhanced, incorporating the use of increased technology, introducing a broader range of artefacts, and creating a meaningful historical timeline. Exciting ongoing projects include the planned reclamation and restoration of an original inspection barge from the era of the Aberdeenshire Canal and the creation of educational materials for virtual learning. 

The Centre sits in the renovated Carriage and Waggon Workshop, part of the Inverurie Locomotive Works. The Works closed their gates for the last time in 1969 but have received a new lease of life as a home for the centre’s collections. The Heritage Centre keeps the memory of the Loco Works alive, all under the watchful eye of the original 20-tonne crane. 

There is a gift shop, café and activities to amuse younger visitors. Guests can enjoy a guided tour by experienced volunteers and hear their stories of growing up in the Garioch. The reading area provides a space in which to research local history or to peruse the Society’s extensive collection of photographs and archive material. 

Entry is free but donations are gratefully received. 

https://gariochheritage.co.uk

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