More than 1,000 spectators have lined the banks of a Moray town to cheer on a flotilla of colourful crafts.
A field of 12 vessels took to the River Lossie yesterday for Lossiemouth’s 42nd annual raft race.
The event once again pulled in a large crowd for an afternoon of entertainment on the coast.
However, the popular fundraiser took place amid uncertainty about the future of the town’s East Beach bridge, which acts as the start and finish line of the race.
Supporters were prevented from accessing a popular viewing point for the water contest on the other side of the river due to the footbridge being shut.
The closure of the bridge initially led to doubts about whether the event would be able to take place at all.
Changes were made to accommodate safety concerns with rafts entering the water further upstream and spectators being encouraged to stay closer to the esplanade.
Meanwhile, organisers from RAF Lossiemouth added the campaign for a replacement bridge to its list of chosen charities alongside The Oaks Palliative Care in Elgin, Poppy Scotland and Cash for Kids.
Campaigners from the Lossiemouth Community Development Trust, who are spearheading the fundraising efforts for a new crossing, manned one of the busiest riverside stalls on the day.
The group’s development officer, Huw Williams, paid tribute to “fantastic” support from locals throughout the afternoon.
He said: “We’ve been incredibly busy, it’s really amazing to see how much people care about it and how much support there is from the town.
“We’ve had a lot of people buy raffle tickets and things like that but some people have been coming up just wanting to put money in the tins.
“We’re still working hard to get backing from funders. We’ve got a meeting with Highlands and Islands Enterprise this week and are working closely with Moray Council to see what more can be done.”
In the water, RAF Lossiemouth’s rugby team held off a late charge from 18-time winners The Steamboat to claim the coveted toilet seat trophy awarded to the winners of yesterday’s race.
This year’s chosen theme for the race was superheroes with rafts being entered in a variety of colours and designs including Wonder Woman, Superman and the Hulk.
Entrants shared laughs during the good-natured race by splashing water and throwing flour at each other with some venturing overboard in an effort to get an advantage for their team.