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In pictures: King Charles arrives at Balmoral

News imagePA Media King Charles III, wearing a tweed jacket and tartan kilt, meets Corporal Cruachan IV, the Shetland pony mascot of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, during a military parade outside a stone building. The pony, dressed in a regimental tartan blanket and service medals, stands beside handler Corporal Rory Stewart in ceremonial uniform. King Charles III reaches out to greet the pony while rows of soldiers in tartan uniforms stand on parade in the background.PA Media
King Charles III meets Shetland pony Cpl Cruachan IV, mascot of the Royal Regiment of Scotland

King Charles III has been welcomed by a guard of honour provided by the Royal Regiment of Scotland as he arrived at Balmoral for his summer break.

The King, who is Colonel in Chief of the regiment, inspected soldiers from Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, who took up royal guard duties in July and will remain in Balmoral until October.

King Charles also met Corporal Cruachan IV – the Shetland pony who is the regiment's mascot and was on parade with his handler Cpl Rory Stewart.

Major Tommy Blair, who is in his second year in command of Balaklava Company, said: "Welcoming His Majesty the King to Balmoral is a huge privilege for Balaklava Company.

He added that although the company has a "huge amount of ceremonial experience in Scotland and the wider UK" they had recently welcomed a number of new soldiers and for some this was "their first encounter with our Colonel in Chief".

"The standard of turnout and ceremony on show today reflects the many hours of dedicated preparation that all ranks in the company have put into marking this very special occasion," he said.

News imagePA Media King Charles III, wearing a tweed jacket, waistcoat and tartan kilt, walks between two ranks of troops from Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, during a ceremonial inspection. Soldiers in dark uniforms, tartan kilts and glengarry caps stand at attention on either side, creating a guard of honour along the roadway, while an officer in full ceremonial dress follows behind. The scene takes place outdoors in bright sunlight.PA Media
King Charles III inspects Balaklava Company
News imagePA Media King Charles III walks alongside a soldier in ceremonial Highland dress during a parade inspection. The King is wearing a tweed jacket, waistcoat and tartan kilt, while the soldier wears a dark dress uniform decorated with medals, a tartan kilt and traditional military accessories. Spectators watch from behind railings in the background. PA Media
News imagePA Media Soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland march in formation during a ceremonial parade, carrying rifles and wearing dark dress uniforms, tartan kilts and white spats. Union flag is carried near the front of the column as the troops advance along a tree-lined route past a stone entrance.PA Media

Musical support came from the pipes, drums and bugles of the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, led by drum major Sgt William Crawford and pipe major Col Sgt Joe Davies.

Davies said: "It's always a privilege to perform for the arrival of His Majesty the King, and this year was particularly special for me as it was my first time leading the 2 SCOTS pipes, drums and bugles.

News imagePA Media The Band of the 2nd Battalion marches through a stone gateway during a ceremonial parade. Musicians in tartan kilts and dark military uniforms play bagpipes while advancing in formation behind a drum major in a red tunic and bearskin-style hat. PA Media
Music for the occasion came from the band of the 2nd Battalion
News imagePA Media King Charles III greets members of the public gathered behind crowd barriers during a visit, shaking hands with one person while others look on and take photographs. The King is wearing a tweed jacket, waistcoat and tartan kilt. Several spectators hold cameras and smartphones as they line the roadside beneath trees in bright sunshine.PA Media
King Charles met members of the public at the gates of Balmoral

He added: "I've had the honour of taking part in this ceremony a number of times throughout my career, but leading the band made it an especially memorable experience."

Following the ceremony, the King met members of the public who had gathered near the gates to see him.