Prince of rails starts eco-friendly tour to promote sustainable living initiative

Prince Charles sat on a collapsible red bike, which can be used by commuters, and tried Highland Brie from the Highland Fine Cheeses stall after arriving by car at Glasgow Central station yesterday.

He also donated a pair of green cord trousers to a Marks and Spencer and Oxfam stall at the station.

The Prince will travel by the bio-fuel powered Royal Train as he takes his message to communities from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Manchester and London.

Before boarding the Royal train for the first leg of the national tour for his journey to Edinburgh, Prince Charles said: “What I hope to get across, to as many people as possible, is that however awful a predicament we face with climate change and the unsustainable use of the natural resources that keep us all alive, we aren’t going to get anywhere by telling everyone what they need to stop doing.

“There’s been quite enough of that in recent years and we all know what the reaction is.

“So this week is going to be about the things that we can all start doing for our own benefit, for the benefit of everyone who shares this planet with us and for the benefit of our children and their children too.

“The message of START is about encouraging and assisting everyone to take the first steps towards the world that we all want to live in. A clean, healthy, energy-efficient world that lives within the limits of its natural resources and that we can actually take pride in.

“So START is a simple and positive message.

“It doesn’t lecture or hector anyone about anything, nor does it attempt to frighten you.”

Food, accommodation and travel on the train for the week will cost 50,000 in total.