A group of Moray volunteers are sprucing up their community in the hope it will be crowned the most beautiful in Britain.
Judges will arrive in Dufftown next Monday and Friday to inspect the decorative displays which a dedicated team of enthusiasts have spent the past several months pruning to perfection.
Monday’s visit will be carried out by judges attached to the Beautiful Scotland competition, whereas Friday’s will be performed by a panel from Britain in Bloom.
Members of the Dufftown in Bloom group were selected to take part in the Royal Horticultural Society’s competition after winning several Scottish awards in recent years.
They have boosted their collection of hanging baskets to more than 100 in a bid to compete against communities from across the UK.
And members of the group have issued an appeal for residents to join them on Sunday to clear up after the town’s Highland Games celebrations the previous evening.
Secretary Anne Fraser said: “We have been really busy, getting ready for the two sets of judges visiting within a few days of each other.
“The timing is a bit unfortunate, just after the Highland Games, but these things can’t be helped and we are just hoping some community-minded people will come out and help us tidy up on Sunday.”
Both sets of judges will take into account the overall appearance of the town and the community efforts that have gone into making it look its best, as well as the quality of its floral displays.
In addition to planting an unprecedented amount of flowers, Dufftown volunteers have given the town’s war memorial railings a fresh coat of paint this summer.
Ms Fraser added: “This is the 50th anniversary of the Beautiful Scotland award, so it would be really special to win that, but we know that winning a prize as part of Britain in Bloom can’t be topped.”
Last September, Dufftown in Bloom members travelled to Perth for the Beautiful Scotland awards, and were “ecstatic” when they were rewarded with a gold medal prize and the overall winner in the large village category.