One of Speyside’s most popular highland games has returned to its traditional intimate home on the banks of the great river.
For three years the Aberlour Strathspey Highland Games were unable to be held at the village’s Alice Littler Memorial Park due to flood prevention works.
However, the event was back at its familiar home at the weekend for the 74th running of the spectacular displays of Scottish entertainment.
Nearly 4,000 people filed through the gates on Saturday with organisers revealing that most of the crowd was made up of enthralled tourists.
Spectators from Hong Kong, Germany and the USA had reserved their seats in advance to ensure they did not miss out on seeing the games and the stirring pipe band performances.
However, many were not content simply to watch and joined dozens of locals in a hotly-contested welly-throwing competition.
Onlookers lined the slopes around the arena on the banks of the Spey to get up close to the action.
And they were treated to some stunning athletic performances with Sinclair Patience from Inverness smashing the records in both the 28lb and 56lb stone for distance categories on his way to winning the heavies title.
Speysider Siobhan Kinghan from Fochabers was in fine form in the ladies light events – beating the event’s previous bests for the high jump and long jump.
Local entrants had to be on their best form against international competitors from as far afield as Australia and Texas with Icelandic athlete Thor Gylfason finishing third in the heavies.
Organising committee secretary Brian Cameron explained Aberlour’s attractions helped make the event a tourist hit.
He said: “We had the three pillars of a fantastic highland games: fantastic dancing, pipe bands and great competition.
“Around the arena is the icing on the cake with all the local produce and farm shops selling the best the area has to offer.
“When you distil Scotland into an event then you would come very close to the Aberlour Highland Games, which is what draws the people in.”