People from all over the world converged on the famous Culloden Battlefield for a Highland Homecoming event.
The north’s culture, music, dance, drama, and crafts were all celebrated, while nearby Moray’s aerospace connections were marked by the appearance of a Nimrod surveillance aircraft.
Pottery and musical workshops were set up alongside stands promoting Keith and Dufftown Railway, Cromarty Museum, and Clan Macpherson, among others.
Visitors voiced their approval, in a variety of accents and languages, with Inverness-based Battle Scar Entertainments being praised for their re-enactment of characters and events from 1746.
The group’s Ian Devenay explained that they were based on actual people following extensive research on the various events which led to the Battle of Culloden.
He said: “We introduce the characters, so that the audience can find out who these people were, how they fought, and what happened to them afterwards.
“It was a pretty popular performance, everyone seemed to love it, and we performed three times over the two days, on the main stage.
“All our historical characters have been documented and we tell how they came to be here, giving the event a personal touch.
“The comments we had from the audience were all positive, people were saying it was a good way to portray things.”
Also making a guest appearance was a military band from the US, The Hellcats, who played in between performances at the Highland Military Tattoo.
The team of National Trust for Scotland staff at Culloden enjoyed their biggest influx of visitors for many years.
Learning manager, Katey Boal, said: “People have been telling me that they have really enjoyed their visit – there have been tonnes of activities, and incredible musicians.
“The support from local people has been fantastic, with pupils from Cradlehall, Duncan Forbes, Lochardil, and Dalneigh primary schools all coming here and performing so well.
“Some of the visitors were from two cruise ships which have docked in the area, who wanted to come to Culloden, and have said they found the event really exciting.”
Up to 2,000 soldiers, mostly Highlanders, died during the hour-long Battle of Culloden on April 16, 1746, when Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Jacobite army were routed by government forces.
It was the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising.