Gale force winds and driving rain failed to deter hardy Christmas shoppers in Inverness yesterday.
Both the city’s Eastgate Shopping Centre and the high street were busy with people stocking up on presents.
Chris Wade, operations manager of the shopping centre, said last night that footfall figures for the weekend had yet to be finalised but the centre had been “very busy”.
He said: “I don’t think the rain has held anybody off. It was not quite as busy as Saturday, but it never is.
“The car park has been full and it has been so from quite early on which is always a good indication of how many customers we have.”
He said the shoppers were also digging deep for charity and many had placed presents at the Giving Tree, organised by the Order of St John, which go to underprivileged children across the Highlands
He said: “It’s really heartening to see the amount of people that come and give presents. The support it has got has been tremendous and people have been very generous.”
Shoppers in the centre enjoyed a festive atmosphere with carols from the Inverness Choral Society on Saturday and the Highland Deaf Children’s Society yesterday.
Further entertainment was provided by the Tap Dancing Turkeys comedy dance duo.
Meanwhile, shopkeepers reported a busy weekend’s trade in Moray.
Seonaid Holsgrove, the manageress of Sphere clothing shop on South Street, Elgin, reckoned it was the busiest weekend she had encountered since starting there seven months ago.
She said: “There have been a lot of people coming through the doors. Kids’ clothes and vouchers have been the most popular things.”
Vic Flett, who runs the Sound and Vision music store on the same street, reported that he does twice as much trade in December as in summer.
“We’re busy again this Christmas, though not as much as we were, say, 10 years ago – not many retailers are,” he said.
Auriol Geddes, who runs the Geddes and Mellis electrical equipment shop in Commerce Street, Elgin, said: “I’m from a generation that always likes to see before they buy, but younger people don’t seem so bothered.
“As a result we set up a ‘click and collect’ service on our website earlier this year, where people can buy online. It’s becoming a larger and larger part of our business.”