A dredging operation has been under way in Portsoy this week as sand is moved from one beauty spot to another.
Aberdeenshire Council is undertaking the removal of sand from Portsoy harbour and moving it to replenish a beach beside the caravan park.
A worker in a digger was spotted on Monday during low tide, dredging the harbour and moving the sand into a big pile.
The material will then be brought to the beach, which has suffered a substantial loss of sand in recent months.
It forms part of the local authority’s maintenance of beauty spots throughout Portsoy.
Tourists from across the UK are expected to be welcomed to the town over the summer, Covid rules permitting.
An Aberdeenshire Council spokesman confirmed they were working at the harbour, and apologised for any inconvenience.
He said: “We are committed to maintaining Aberdeenshire’s beaches and harbours for residents and visitors to enjoy time and time again.
“We hope any disruption caused by the removal of sand is minimal and we apologise for any inconvenience the work may cause.”
Dredging in the north-east
The success of the lone dredger digging up Portsoy harbour has led to a spotlight being shone on the neighbouring local authority Moray Council and their dredger, the Selkie.
It is Scotland’s only council-owned dredger and was commissioned to drive down maintenance bills for the harbours.
However, it was been plagued with a spate of misfortune and controversies during its time being active or in some cases inactive across the region.
For several years, concerns have been raised in coastal communities about the lack of maintenance leading to growing access issues in harbours.
Staffing issues forced the dredger out of action for several months.
Earlier this year it returned to sea following an excavator engine replacement that led to it being berthed in Buckie for months.