The first fishing boat to be built in Buckie for about 15 years has entered the water.
Called Asteria, it is a replacement for the owners’ current vessel of the same name.
The new 62ft trawler – costing about £1.7million – was designed and built by Macduff Shipyards for the Montgomery family of Skye.
Its launch into the sea marks a key milestone for Macduff’s operation in Buckie.
The firm acquired the premises after rival Buckie Shipyard sank into administration.
Macduff has to date been using the site mainly to build hulls but also three workboats
Asteria is the first fishing vessel built there since the Buckie yard was rescued in late 2013.
Matthew Watt, of family-run Macduff said it was a “great project for the yard”.
He added: “We can only build one large hull at a time in Macduff so this has allowed us to fabricate two large hulls simultaneously.
“The last fishing vessel to be built in Buckie was about 15 years ago by Buckie Shipyard.
“We have since signed an order for another sister ship to be built, again in our Buckie premises.”
Macduff, which is based in the town of the same name, specialises in shipbuilding and repairs.
The company history goes back more than 75 years and while its roots remain within the fishing industry to this day, it now has divisions for crane hire, metal profiling and precision engineering.
Alasdair Montgomery and his son, Andrew, aim to start using their new boat in the autumn after fit-out work in Macduff.
They fish off the east and west coasts of Scotland and also near Cornwall, mainly targeting prawns but also some white-fish.
Growing confidence in the future of Scottish fishing has led to massive investment in new boats.
The vessels, mainly replacements for older stock, are being built at shipyards at home and overseas.
Last December, the Press and Journal reported at least 30 new boats on order in an “unprecedented” show of faith in the industry’s prospects.
