Adults, teenagers and young children took to the dance floor last night to celebrate a north-east tourist attraction being awarded nearly £1million in funding.
Haddo Country Park, near Tarves, will undergo a reconstruction project after being awarded £993,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Last night about 100 people attended a ceilidh at the estate, which was also held to raise awareness of Friends of Haddo, a group set up to give the public a voice on the restoration.
Ceilidh Mor provided the entertainment, with young musicians from St Margaret’s School for Girls in Aberdeen also performing.
Richard Leavett, chairman of the management committee for Friends of Haddo, said: “We had already planned the ceilidh, and then it became an opportunity to celebrate the award from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
“We are really looking forward to the project getting under way. It’ll bring a new breath of life into the park.
“We were really pleased to see so many turn out to the ceilidh, as we thought the weather might put a few people off. It’s been a success and hopefully we’ll do it again.”
Bruce Lloyd, 38, of St Clare Street, Aberdeen, was at the event and said he was impressed with the entertainment – particularly the youngsters. He said: “I was really surprised to see such a mix of people, and it was a really fun night. The school band was great too.”
Leanne Hall, 24, of Portsoy Crescent, Ellon, also enjoyed the night and added that it was important to attract more people to Haddo.
The restoration work includes renovations to historic monuments, natural landscape features and improvements to play areas and visitor facilities.
Anyone interested in becoming involved with Friends of Haddo should call Mr Leavett on 01651 851438 or visit www.friendsofhaddo.org.uk