Murder and X-sports have been big attractions for last-minute Christmas shoppers in the Highlands.
The Inverness Waterstones book store was reporting huge interest yesterday in a local hero’s latest publication along with the more traditional Scottish fictional favourites.
Store manager Peter Sim said: “The old favourites in crime writing, Ian Rankin and Peter May, have been very popular.
“But there’s also been great interest in Skye cyclist Danny MacAskill’s book ‘At the Edge’.
“It has been nip and tuck but I think we’re, hopefully up on last year. It was a quiet start to December, but a really busy finish.”
Inverness Eastgate Centre operations manager Andy Wade argued that the packed car parks told the story of how successful a Christmas it had been.
He added: “We’ve been full on most days at some point.”
In the Old Town, bookshop veteran Charles Leakey said: “There are people in the town with money to spend and trade has been good. Despite the weather, trade has been brisk and I’m feeling quite happy.”
At Tiso on the city’s Longman estate, senior salesman Colin Cummings said business had been hectic with lightweight down jackets in particular “flying off the shelves.”