Aberdeen residents have been left wondering if they had been visited by aliens after waking up to find mysterious markings on a nearby grass land.
The tenants of the tower blocks in the Seaton area were left scratching their heads in at the crop-circle-style imprints in the grass.
Some even speculated on social media that the Granite City had been visited by beings from another planet.
And one person suggested that the bizarre branding looked like something from classic 1970s arcade game Space Invaders.
Another said the imprints were likely left by little green men.
Others said it could have been a gaffe-strewn midnight golf outing, with players digging up the pitch with divots.
However the council has come forward to say it is behind the circles.
An Aberdeen City Council spokeswoman said: “The marks are not alien crop circles.
“They are preparatory work for planting trees as part of the £500,000 Seaton Backies project which is rejuvenating a neglected green space for family use.
“We are planting dozens of trees as part of the project to create shelter, and the spots where the trees are to be planted need to be free of weeds before then – the trees will be planted from late autumn to April.”
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