Competition is under way at the Royal National Mod with young competitors taking to the stages in instrumental events across Stornoway.
Youngsters playing accordions, pipes, fiddles, pianos and more were among those taking part in the first day of competition on Saturday.
Among them was young pianist Tom Davis, who travelled with his family from Carloway on the west coast of Lewis to win in the first ever competition he had entered at just 10-years-old, with around 18 months experience playing the instrument.
The Sgoil Shiaboist pupil came out top in the under 13s competition – and his father Thomas Davis, the minister at Carloway Free Church, said his son was delighted just to have been able to have the chance to play the piano on stage.
He said: “It’s just his first competition. The first thing he said when he won was ‘I’m stunned’.
“I’m just delighted for him, he’s chuffed to bits.”
One of the first winners of this year’s Mod was young fiddle player Alice Macmillan, 12, who won in the under-13s event.
Inverness Royal Academy pupils Findlay MacLennan and Emma Morrison from Motherwell secured second and third place.
Another early winner was the Strung, Drawn and Quartered fiddle group from Aberfeldy in Perthshire who impressed with their medley of songs in their category.
The group is made up of pupils from Breadalbane Academy in the town, and music teacher Melvin Turnbull was delighted with the performance of his charges, who range in age from 15 to 18-years-old.
He said: “It was a beautiful sound, they did very well indeed.
“They deserve a lot credit because they’ve handled a lot of it on their own.
“They’re very self-sufficient.”
Stornoway Town Hall hosted various squeezebox performances throughout Saturday, including youngsters playing accordions and melodions.
Nicolson Institute pupil Duncan Shirkie, 15, from Shawbost, was a winner in the melodeon competitions.
Meanwhile Kyle Rowan, a pupil at Firrhill High School in Edinburgh, was a double winner in the accordion competitions.
The 15-year-old said: “I’m really pleased to have won but really I just enjoy performing.
“It’s been really good fun and a really good competition.”
Saturday also saw competition spread across the Western Isles with the piping competitions performed at Sgoil Lionacleit on Benbecula.
The Mod’s traditional sporting events also took place on Saturday with hosts Lewis losing 3-0 to Skye in the Shinty Cup.
In the football competition a Lewis and Harris team lost in a penalty shootout to Glasgow Islands AFC after a 2-2 draw in normal time.
Saturday also featured a rousing climax with the fiddlers rally featuring 200 island performers on stage in a specially assembled orchestra of boxes, fiddles, pipers, guitars, brass, choirs and dancers.
With the traditional break in competition yesterday, the Mod resumes this morning as the children’s competitions get into full swing.
John Morrison, chief executive of An Comunn Gaidhealach said: “We’ve had a great start to this year’s Royal National Mod, it’s fantastic to be back in the Western Isles and we thank the local communities for such a warm welcome.
“Three days into this year’s festival, we have already seen some amazing performances, competitions and sport.
“We look forward to the rest of the Mòd, especially with the coveted Gold Medal finals, Lovat and Tullibardine and the Margrat Duncan awards later in the week.”