William and Kate join children on island nature trail

Daniela Relph
BBC Senior Royal Correspondent in Mull
Reuters Smiling Princess Catherine has long brown hair and is wearing a tweed jacket over a white blouse. She is holding a small bunch of flowers as she crouches to talk to a little girl and a woman in a forestReuters
The Princess of Wales met local children and their families during a walk in Ardura Community Forest in Mull

The Prince and Princess of Wales are spending their second and final day on the Isle of Mull with children taking part in an outdoor learning session with forest rangers.

William and Catherine celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary on Tuesday as they began an official visit to the island off the west coast of Scotland.

Their final day of the mini-tour will focus on the natural world, which Catherine has previously described as her family's "sanctuary".

The couple, who are officially known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay when in Scotland, have visited the Ardura Community Forest - which plays a vital role in protecting the biodiversity of the island.

Reuters Prince William, a bald man with a beard, is wearing a brown jumper, blue shirt and blue jeans. Princess Catherine, who has long brown hair, is wearing a green jacket and jumper over a white short and grey jeans. They are walking together through a forest.Reuters
The royal couple are on the second day of their visit to Mull
Reuters Catherine holds the hand of a little girl in a white dress as they walk through the forestReuters
Reuters Catherine examines twigs with a little girl while other girls walk among the treesReuters
The visit included a nature trail in the forest
Reuters Catherine looks through "binoculars" made from toilet rollsReuters

Their Royal Foundation is funding the ranger service here – an injection of cash that will ensure its survival.

Under the canopy of trees alongside a stream, the royal couple met local families who bring their children to the forest for outdoor learning.

The princess proved a big draw for the nursery age children.

Four-year-old Rosie-Mae gripped the princess's hand tightly during the visit, guiding her through what forest schooling offers. She told the princess that she had a dream about her last night.

See William and Kate join the children's nature trail on the Isle of Mull

Rosie's Mum, Sally Maccoll, knew her daughter was keen to be involved.

"She's obsessed with Princess Kate so as soon as Kate came walking down I felt her grab my arm and she was like - she's here, there's a real-life princess," she said.

"She dragged Kate around, down to the river and they threw some sticks in. I kept my distance and let her do her thing. She is a very confident young lady. It was really special, she'll remember it for a long time."

Reuters William and Catherine are guided through the forest by a man with grey hair, wearing sunglasses, a green jacket and trousers and a white shirtReuters
The royal couple were guided through the forest
Reuters Smiling William during the walkReuters
Reuters Catherine crouches to speak to a small fair-haired child weather a blue and green jumper who is being helped by a woman with blonde hair who is wearing a blue and white top and blue jeansReuters
The Royal Foundation's Community Impact Programme is providing funding for nature projects in Mull and Iona.

For the royal couple, but the princess in particular, this part of the visit has been especially meaningful.

Since her cancer treatment, she has spoken repeatedly about how being outdoors and engaging with nature helped her through a difficult year.

And wherever Prince William goes,it seems football makes an appearance.

One of the dads here wore an Aston Villa shirt – a surefire way to get the attention of William who is a committed Villa fan.

Reuters Catherine wearing sunglasses and pulling her hair round behind her headReuters
Reuters William points towards a small child as Catherine crouches down next to themReuters

The visit aims to highlight the importance of protecting and championing the natural environment.

Afterwards, William and Catherine took the public ferry from Mull to Iona to spend some private time together.

But as they hopped off the ferry, there was time for a quick photograph with comedian, broadcaster and mental health campaigner Ruby Wax, who now spends much of her time on Iona.

Catherine and William pose for a picture with Ruby Wax who is a short woman with short dark hair
Catherine and William stopped to pose for a picture with Ruby Wax

William and Catherine released a romantic image on their social media accounts on Tuesday evening to mark their 14th anniversary.

@KensingtonRoyal The royal couple on the Isle of Mull, pictured from behind. They have one arm around each other's waists and appear to be talking @KensingtonRoyal
The royal couple shared this photo taken on the Isle of Mull on Tuesday to mark their wedding anniversary.

They were married at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011, when tens of thousands of people lining the streets for their wedding procession to Buckingham Palace.

The couple met while studying at the University of St Andrews.

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