They may now be known locally as Lord and Lady of the Isles.
But Prince William and his then girlfriend, Kate Middleton, didn’t stand on ceremony when they first visited the beautiful Isle of Mull as students.
In fact, the Mail can reveal, they enjoyed their stay so much that they even had a ‘water bomb match’ with their neighbours, sipped pints in the local pub, did their shopping in the Co-op and enjoyed a friendly BBQ with locals.
Today, the couple arrive on the island again on their 14th wedding anniversary for a two day official visit.
But, it can be disclosed, it is not their first.
In fact the couple stayed on the island in the Inner Hebrides in 2005 following their final exams at St Andrew’s University, where they first met and fell in love.
Along with a group of friends they rented Victoria Cottage on Breadalbane Street in Tobermory, famous as the brightly-coloured town of Balamory in the children’s television series featuring Josie Jump and PC Plum.
William, 22, Kate, 23, and their group enjoyed a four-day, self-catering stay at their holiday let overlooking the harbour before they returned to university for their gradation that June.
William was spotted on the ferry over from Oban, on the Scottish mainland, with passengers apparently staring in disbelief. One passenger said he was ‘very chatty’ on the boat and made no effort to hide his identity.
He was with a young woman who they didn’t think was his girlfriend, but the Mail has established that Kate did accompany him too.
‘They visited privately during their time at university,’ a royal source confirmed this week.
Arriving on Mull the group dropped their bags off at their cottage before popping down to the local Co-op for provisions.
‘He was very handsome and very polite,’ one member of staff said of the heir to the throne.
The future king was also seen in the local pub watching the British Lions in New Zealand and then went back to the shop with friends to buy a picnic lunch before heading out into the hills walking.
‘He was minding his own business and so did everyone else. His family have a lot of connections on the west coast of Scotland and that is probably why he has decided to holiday here,’ said a shop worker.
Discussing their visit this week, a source told the Mail yesterday: ‘William and Kate were here previously. They were open to the public, just a normal couple enjoying a break away.
‘They had fun with the local neighbours with a water bomb match and had a BBQ with them too.
‘They were just very normal people, without any royal airs and graces. It was really nice to see.’
Another said: ‘There was a whole gang on them just having a break, all very chilled. There was no fuss or fanfare and because William acted so low-key and normal, all the people around here did too.’
They added: ‘The funny thing was that Princess Anne was also visiting the island at the same time and they both ended up in the Co-op together.
‘What at the chances of having two members of the Royal Family here at the same time – and in the same shop?
‘Anne comes here a lot when she stops off on her boat, but it was very funny to see them both queuing together – William was standing behind her.
‘It just goes to show that if people as famous as the Royal Family don’t make a fuss, then no-one else does too. You would barely see the security with them. It was all very low-key.’
William and Catherine are visiting the Scottish Isles as part of a two-day visit to highlight their resilient local communities, as well as the wild natural beauty of the region.
They will undertake a number of engagements in picturesque Tobermory on their first afternoon, visiting a community hub and an artisan market.
The couple will also make the trip to a local Croft to learn about sustainable farming and hospitality.
But as part of their efforts to highlight the importance of the self-sustaining economy in the Inner Hebrides they plan to romantically rent a house once again for the night on the island ‘a deux’.
The couple walked down at aisle at Westminster Abbey on April 29 2011.
A royal source explained that the tourism industry contributes ‘significantly to the economy of the Isles’, which see hundreds of thousands of people visit every year, adding that the Prince and Princess are looking forward to ‘showing their support for the islands with their stay’.
Known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay – as well as Lord and Lady of the Isles – William and Catherine will be visiting both the Isles of Mull and Iona.
The focus of their trip is to highlight rural island communities and the stunning natural environment in which they live.
A source said: ‘For The Duke and Duchess, this visit is all about the power of communities, and highlighting that by building stronger and better-connected communities we can perhaps build a steady path to more loving and compassionate society.
‘The simpler way of life that these island communities enjoy, steeped in nature and built on strong person to person connections, offers a powerful model for transforming our own health and wellbeing, and in turn the communities within which we live. ‘
