Delegates will begin arriving in Oban tonight for the first ever Scottish Rural Parliament.
The event takes place on tomorrow, Friday and Saturday with 400 people from rural communities and public bodies taking part.
Venues include Atlantis Leisure Centre, the Corran Halls, the Argyllshire Gathering Halls and the Royal Hotel.
Exhibitions open in the Corran Halls at 8am on Thursday with stands from a wide-variety of organisations, both local and national. Delegates will take part in a number of workshops throughout the town in the morning and will visit local projects in the afternoon.
On Thursday evening the opening ceremony, dinner, presentations and entertainment take place in Atlantis Leisure.
Friday will see more workshops and guest speakers and a presentation from Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment.
Delegates will discuss key themes on any topic which impacts on those living or working in rural areas.
On Friday night there will be a dinner in the Argyllshire Gathering Halls with speeches, drinks and dancing.
On Saturday morning there will be more presentations and delegates will identify items they feel are most important for rural Scotland. They will discuss these with Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning and local MSP, Michael Russell.
Mr Lochhead said: “I am truly delighted that to see this parliament, a manifesto commitment I personally championed, finally coming to fruition.
“Establishing a Rural Parliament in Scotland has been a long-held ambition of mine, as I firmly believe that it will give rural communities and businesses a stronger voice in the issues that matter to them.”