Hundreds of north-east residents have shown their support for a newly re-launched Strichen eatery.
The Lodge cafe is a vital part of the Strichen community lake project, and was previously run by husband and wife team Joanna and Noel Gall.
But when the Galls announced they were leaving the business to manage the refurbished Saplinbrae hotel near Mintlaw, there were concerns that the venue would be closed permanently.
Now the Morrice family have taken the reins, and today the cafe will officially reopen following a launch event on Saturday.
More than 450 local residents and visitors turned out at the event alongside neighbour and former first minister Alex Salmond.
New manager Angela Morrice said she was stunned by how many people gathered at The Lodge to support her family’s venture.
She said: “It was run well before so we are going to continue that. Saturday’s launch was Strichen showing its strong sense of community.
“There are so many projects on the go locally, and thousands of people will visit the lake over the year. We hope The Lodge will be a part of that.”
The Lodge, in Strichen, opened in 2011 and quickly became a favourite of residents and visitors to the quiet village.
Set within the community park, the business enjoys views of the village’s lake and the abundance of flora and fauna.
Mr Salmond added: “The whole of the lake is community run, it’s a local project backed by the community. This was all just a wilderness 15 years ago.
“Now more than 10,000 people will visit each year and The Lodge makes it very worthwhile.”