Retracing the footsteps of the boy who would become King – group of pupils walk route taken by teenage Charles

His love of the outdoors, nature and hiking is well-known, with these passions said to have been developed during his time as a pupil at Scots boarding school Gordonstoun.

Now, a group of intrepid youngsters have followed in the footsteps of King Charles by completing the same route he trekked with his classmates as a teenager.

In 1965, the then 16-year-old Charles completed almost 29 miles trekking through forests and mountains in winter weather, with a 60-year-old log of the trip noting the pupils endured ‘stormy wind’, ‘showers’ and ‘mist’.

The Highlands route, which the seven modern day pupils followed, took in the scenic Glenfeshie Forest and passed by Ben Macdui on the way up Glen Dee.

The Prince and four other students took part in the expedition in October 1965, ascending heights of 850m, as part of the Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) developed by his father Prince Phillip, who was also a former pupil.

A log from the trip stated the weather on the first day of the young monarch’s trek was ‘rainy’ with a ‘stormy wind’ while the second day was ‘overcast’ with ‘showers’ and ‘low mist’.

There was some respite though as the third day was said to be ‘a fine day’ but with ‘mist on the tops’ of the surrounding hills.

Despite the challenging conditions, Charles and the other four adventurers were said to be in ‘good spirits’.

Reminiscing about the trek, former Gordonstoun student Michael Fabianski, who completed the expedition alongside the King, said: ‘My memory from the expedition was camping for the first night on the banks of the River Feshie and wading across the River Dee, whilst walking up Glen Dee to the Corrour Bothy, where we camped for the second night.

‘It’s very atmospheric walking up Glen Dee with Cairn Toul on one side and Ben Macdui on the other.’

Unlike the modern clothing and equipment pupils can now enjoy, King Charles would have been provided with a much simpler selection.

This would have included walking boots and socks, an anorak, gloves, a hat and a rucksack.

As for food, they most likely were provided with dried food, which would have been prepared using a camping stove.

Charles arrived at Gordonstoun as a 14-year-old in 1962 and left in 1967.

His brother Edward and father Prince Phillip – the late Duke of Edinburgh – also attended, as did the King’s nephew and niece Peter and Zara Phillips.

After discovering the expedition log in the school archive, seven Gordonstoun students re-traced the route through the Cairngorms this summer.

Their own four-day expedition, between 19-21 June, took them from Glenfeshie to Rothiemurchus, via the Lairig Ghru, the best-known hill pass in Scotland.

The five girls and two boys, aged between 15 and 16, were inspired to replicate the trek as part of their own Silver DofE Award. Another team of seven students walked the route in reverse.

The students spent three nights camping in the wilderness, navigating along the route and cooking their own food.

Student India Lewis, 16, said: ‘To be, quite literally, retracing the footsteps of The King was so cool, and something we can always say we have done.’

Gordonstoun is the birthplace of the DofE award after school founder Kurt Hahn first set up a scheme in 1936 called the Moray Badge, to connect with the local community.

With the support of Prince Philip, one of the first pupils at Gordonstoun, this evolved to become a national programme in 1956.

Gordonstoun Principal Peter Green said: ‘In the spirit of our founder, Kurt Hahn, I firmly believe that students must be regularly challenged to grow, both inside and outside the classroom.

‘The recent expedition through the Cairngorms, retracing the footsteps of The King, was a powerful illustration of that philosophy in action.’

According to numerous accounts, it was during his time at Gordonstoun that Charles first developed his love of the outdoors, hiking and camping.

Former classmate at Gordonstoun Johnny Stonborough once discussed his time at the school with the young monarch and said they and the other pupils ‘did a lot of hiking’.

He added: ‘I think we all became very keen on the environment as a result.’

A pair of cyclists even encountered the monarch in 2023 as he walked a section of the same famous Lairig Ghru mountain pass that was part of the route he completed as a teen for his DofE award.

The men asked the King if he was still on his summer holiday. He responded, saying: ‘Yes. It is wonderful up here. The midges are horrendous. It’s typical. I like my walking.’

The monarch also added that he liked walking because it was ‘good for the soul’ despite the rainy Scottish weather.