If Looks Could Kilt: King Charles Rocks Traditional Scottish Garb While Opening The Doors to New Distillery

King Charles III is no stranger to wearing kilts on his visits to Scotland. (Photo: Press Association via AP Images)

When in Scotland, do as the Scottish do. It seems like King Charles III did exactly that as the monarch showed up to 8 Doors Distillery clad in a kilt, Daily Mail reported Wednesday. The 74-year-old monarch was set to assist in opening the fledgling distillery’s doors.

King Charles was offered a tour of the facilities, where he met with the owners Kerry and Derek Campbell. According to a piece published in The Spirits Business, King Charles met with various team members and was granted the opportunity to fill an American oak Pedro Ximénez sherry hogshead cask prior to tasting the distillery’s offerings — including its new make spirit.

“Throughout his visit he had the opportunity to meet many of our team, from those working in our distillation team throughout our retail and distillery lounge staff, all of whom embody our passion for both the whisky industry and the local area,” Kerry Campbell said, according to the Daily Mail.

8 Doors Distillery was named for Jan De Groot, a man who built an eight-sided house on the shores of the Scottish town, according to the brand. The town where the distillery is located, John O’Groats, takes its name from him.

Founded in 2020, the distillery is still in its nascent stages. 8 Doors filled its first cask in a bonded warehouse in September, according to the brand, and an article in The Scotsman cites the distillery as the first whisky producer within the Caithness village in almost 200 years.

The Daily Mail piece went on to divulge that King Charles revealed a welcome plaque for 8 Doors Distillery.  The king is set to present 8 Doors Distillery with a plaque to mark its opening in the future.

“We were honored to welcome the King to 8 Doors Distillery and thoroughly enjoyed sharing our story and what makes our distillery so unique to him, as well as offering him the opportunity to fill a cask in our warehouse,” Kerry Campbell, co-founder of 8 Doors Distillery, said, according to the Daily Mail.

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