William treated to history of Aberdeen during visit

The Prince of Wales was treated to a brief verbal history of Aberdeen’s main thoroughfare during a visit to the city.

William was guided through Union Street and told about its origins by Angus Stirling, a volunteer with Invisible Cities, a social enterprise offering tours of cities across the UK guided by people who have experienced homelessness.

The prince was attending the official launch of the enterprise in Aberdeen as part of his wider Homewards project, which aims to eradicate homelessness in all its forms.

Invisible Cities guides tailor their tours to guests, sharing stories about local history and culture alongside their own experiences on the streets.

They undertake four weeks of training and after graduating can either become a guide or use the skills they gained to apply for other jobs.

William met four new graduates at Trinity Hall in Holburn Street after spending around half an hour walking down Union Street taking in the sights.

Mr Stirling said: “The tour went really well. William was very friendly, he was very engaged, and he asked lots of questions.

“We didn’t get to see all the things I wanted to point out because he actually noticed a lot of things himself. He was very observant and very pleasant.”

Mr Stirling, a former joiner who studies history in his spare time, admitted he did not have all the answers to some of the questions William put to him along the way.

He said: “There was a couple of things I wasn’t entirely sure of, so I’ll have to find out more – I don’t like to make guesses.”

Mr Stirling said William was particularly struck by some of the murals on buildings along Union Street, including one of a child seeming to climb the building to reach a seagull painted above.

Project co-ordinator Lisa Heinzler said she could not believe her luck when she was offered a role with Invisible Cities and was told she would be meeting the Prince of Wales within the first few weeks of her employment.

She said: “I love that William is getting involved in an issue we could all face in life. I always say you cannot predict what the future holds.

“I really do like that royalty is helping us. I couldn’t believe it was happening when I was told.

“I tried to keep out of the spotlight when he was talking to our graduates. I literally just shook his hand and nodded. It’s their graduation, not mine.”