A Moray football star celebrated New Year with the birth of a new baby daughter.
Elgin City FC midfielder Brian Cameron was enjoying a quiet Hogmanay, while preparing for his side’s away match against East Fife this afternoon, when his partner, Tanya Ross, went into labour.
Shortly after 11.30pm, the pair, both 24, made a frantic dash to the town’s Dr Gray’s Hospital.
And, just 45 minutes after the bells had rung in 2016, their first daughter was born, weighing a healthy 7lb 15oz.
The couple were taken aback as the happy event was not due to happen until January 9.
The baby was the couple’s second, and she will be a little sister for three-year-old Aidan.
Mr Cameron, who also works as a joiner, said he was “delighted” by the baby’s unexpectedly early arrival.
He said: “I had been having a quiet Hogmanay anyway, because of the game which we have coming up against East Fife.
“But I may decide to wet the baby’s head after that.
“I am just delighted that she is here.”
Ms Ross, who works as a nursery nurse, said the baby was great news for the entire family – and that her parents were especially thrilled to have a new granddaughter.
The first new birth in Moray this year was a son born to Elgin parents Michael Geddes and Lynne Stephen.
Ms Stephen went into labour at 3am on Hogmanay and the 7lb 12oz boy was born only 28 minutes into the year.
Mr Geddes, 33, described the birth of the couple’s second child as “the best New Year’s Day present ever”.
Big sister Mia, who is nearly two, is looking forward to having a new playmate around the family home at Rowan Court.
As the day drew to a close, maternity staff at the Elgin hospital had delivered five New Year babies.
Charge midwife Alison Alexander said: “It’s been quite busy, we’ve certainly been kept going.
“Our average is about three babies a day – but these things can fluctuate so much.
“On Christmas Day, we had no babies born, but on the 29th of December there were eight new arrivals.”