Moray school pupils have savoured the taste of running a business at their very own farmers market.
Students at Elgin Academy organised products to sell at stalls yesterday to raise money for worthy causes.
And their efforts were rewarded with long queues of people eager for a festive snack or a gift to complete their Christmas shopping.
Pupils who were manning the stalls reported a brisk trade throughout the day and had almost sold out of products by lunchtime.
Lauryn McWilliam was one of the S6 students, who were offering a candy cane home-delivery service.
She said: “It’s been really busy. It was very popular last year, so we thought we would carry it on again.”
Dozens of stalls were squeezed into the assembly hall offering gifts, preserves and plants. Christmas music played in the background over the excited noise of the youngsters driving sales.
S2 pupil Christy Lawrence helped with a stand selling locally-grown vegetables.
She added: “It has shown me a bit about running a business. We’ve had to organise a lot of things for the day and keep track of everything we’ve sold.”
Children from nearby Bishopmill Primary School also paid a visit to the stalls alongside mums and dads, who eagerly snapped up gifts.
Principal teacher of home economics, Anne Campbell said: “It’s been really busy. I think we have had more members of the public through the door than ever before.
“We’ve worked with the S2 pupils to show them all about how to package their produce and to think about the cost of them and what to do with the cost.”
Elgin Fair Trade, Elgin Youth Café and Reap were among the outside groups with stalls at the market.
Moray MSP Richard Lochhead was one of the shoppers sampling the festive treats at the school yesterday.
He responded: “There’s a great buzz from all the pupils that have been selling their own home-bakes and from other organisations that have been promoting Fairtrade and other good causes.
“Farmers’ markets are a great way for pupils to learn about food as well as learning new skills. I’ve certainly overindulged, but I have enjoyed all the purchases.”