A band of watchmen stuffed full of straw will keep guard on an Aberdeenshire village this weekend.
Around 45 scarecrows are being set up in the gardens and roadsides of Westhill tomorrow for the village’s second annual scarecrow trail.
And these mannequins were not made to ward off any birds but to herald in this year’s Weshill Gala week.
The trail will begin at 10am at the Westhill Shopping Centre’s Co-op, covering several suburban streets in the nearby area until 4pm.
The Westhill Art Project called on locals to design and create the stationary decoys, with the most impressive one to be honoured at the event.
Rosemary Murray, team leader of the group organised the event with Westhill florist, Ann Westwood.
She said: “We have a lot of scarecrows, we have at least 45 and we were hoping for about 20 or 25, maybe 30.
“Ann has done a brilliant job of this. She has got so many we don’t what to do with them. We’re overwhelmed.
“I have got three scarecrows in my garage at least and there is at least three in her sitting room.”
The trail will cover roads around the Holiday Inn, off of Westhill Drive.
Ms Murray said: “We have approached all the neighbours to say ‘are you happy to have a scarecrow in your garden?’
“They’ll be in gardens, attached to front benches, lampposts and whatever along the roads.”
She added the idea was initially prompted by scarecrow festivals south of the border.
Ms Murray said: “They do lots of it down in Yorkshire and the Dales. We are making this a part of the annual gala.”
Last year vandals stole one scarecrow – named Pigsby – and ripped another designed by Costco off a fence and threw it into a nearby burn while others were slashed with their clothes torn.
Pigsby was later found in Inverurie by police officers.
The Westhill Gala itself will take place on Saturday, June 6.