I was invited to the best party in Scotland at luxury Perthshire hotel
This charity gala was created to raise funds for The King’s Trust in its 50th year
There are few occasions that require me to get glammed up at 8am.
However, The King’s Trust 50th anniversary fundraising event at Gleneagles is one of them.
On a Thursday morning, I'm collected from Waverley Station in a Bentley, which will whisk me to the five-star Auchterarder hotel, where this dusty city mouse will mingle with the rich, famous and philanthropic.
We arrive at the hotel at 11:30am, and it’s straight out onto the lawn, for a Laurent-Perrier Rose Champagne reception, with canapes that are served by waiters wearing mustard-coloured bow-ties. In the Glendevon room, where they usually serve beautiful afternoon teas, there are a few of the lots on display, including a huge print of a stag and another of a horse, that will be part of a Bonhams fund-raising auction later in the day.
My first star spot is Trainspotting’s Ewan McGregor, who is here with his actor wife Mary Elizabeth Winstead. He looks great with a dark beard, in a black suit, teamed with white trainers. He’s also got his mum in tow, and he tells us later that she’s a huge Rod Stewart fan.
As part of this day, Stewart will be giving a performance later along with Jools Holland. I think that’s going to be my personal highlight, and probably everyone else’s.
I also spot The Traitors UK winner Stephen Libby, wearing a kilt and sweater, though it’s scorching. Also, there’s fashion designer and The King’s Trust alumni, Siobhan Mackenzie, who has designed the outfits for Team Scotland at The Commonwealth Games. She tells me that they are tartan, shot through with gold. That’s got to be lucky.
She’ll be doing a speech as part of this event, in order to outline how The Trust helped her, when she was a 17-year-old wannabe designer with her first sewing machine.
Someone tells me that Gordon Strachan is in the crowd too, but I’m not a football fan, so I cannot confirm.
These stars are giving their time to charity The King’s Trust, formerly The Prince’s Trust, which has been supporting 11 to 30 year olds to gain confidence and skills since 1976.
According to the UK chief executive of the Trust, Jonathan Townsend, businesses including Gleneagles, Laurent-Perrier Rose and others have donated all the treats for today’s event.
Our driver today had told us that apparently it’d involved nine months of organising. In fact, the King’s Trust chair, Brian McRitchie OBE, tells us that he’d first presented the idea of the event to the managing director of Gleneagles, Conor O’Leary, three years ago.
“Not only did he say yes immediately, he said it with enthusiasm,” McRitchie says.
After the drinks reception, we’re led into the ballroom for Nadja Swarovski’s Really Wild label fashion show. But, first, speeches, with McGregor to outline The King’s Trust’s work.
“Today is about celebrating the last 50 years - five decades of belief in young people, five decades of belief, opportunity and transformation. Since the King’s Trust was founded, by his majesty King Charles III, what started as a bold idea has become a powerful movement, one that has changed millions of lives and today every one of you is part of that story,” he says. “Imagine the impact we can create in this very room, the confidence we can spark, the dreams we can help to realise.”
There is loud applause. Then, he introduces a video message from King Charles, who, among other things, says:
“When I began The King’s Trust in 1976, I couldn’t possibly have realised the impact it would have. Using my Royal Navy severance pay to start it off, The Trust aimed to help disadvantaged young people to fulfill their potential. Over the last 50 years the work of our Trust has proved beyond doubt that supporting young people through personal development and the acquisition of self confidence and self esteem can make a real difference and transform lives.”
Now we’re onto the fashion part of the day, with the catwalk running across the middle of the vast ballroom, underneath a couple of chandeliers.
The autumn/winter 2026 collection is very Claudia Winkleman-esque, with capes and Tweed, tartan, and knee-length boots, jewellery by Roberto Coin, hats by Philip Treacy and shoes by Manolo Blahnik. This is accompanied by the sound of lively pipe music, assembled by DJ Cuppy, and footage of all-things-Scottish, from pheasants to capercaillie, stags, forests and ferns. The guy sitting next to me, Graeme Bone, is a kiltmaker, who worked on the show, and he’s chuffed to get a namecheck from McGregor after the catwalk ends.
As McGregor closes the show, he says, “It makes you proud to be Scottish.” Indeed.
Then we’re ushered out of the room for lunch and further surprises.
When we get to our seats, Jools Holland appears, to play a bit of jazzy piano, and introduce Sir Rod Stewart.
Stewart appears wearing a white blazer, bejewelled slippers and a bit of green nail varnish, and performs, among other songs, Pennies from Heaven and Shake, Rattle and Roll, while his wife Penny Lancaster supportively dances along and claps.
At the finale, Stewart says, “We lost a good friend of mine in the last 24 hours, my good friend Bonnie Tyler,” before belting out a bit of her song, It's a Heartache.
The crowd is buzzing and slightly emotional, as we return to our seats for the lunch of lobster souffle, lamb and frangipane tart. There are iPads on the table, for the Bonhams silent auction, though it will be live and a bit more competitive later on. The lots include Hamilton & Inches jewellery, stays at Edinburgh’s Prestonfield and The Witchery, a bedtime story with Tilda Swinton, and, most coveted, a pair of tickets and accommodation for the World Cup Final.
Those go for an incredible £65,000. I keep my hands in my lap, all the way through the auction bit.
Although Swinton will not be tucking me into bed tonight - or any other night - this gala experience will definitely not go down as an ordinary Thursday.
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