Tributes have continued to pour in for the five people killed in a horrific crash last week.
Country music lovers Ted Reid, 63, from Macduff, Evalyn Collie, 69, and Audrey Appleby, 70, both from Aberchirder, died on Thursday when their 4×4 was in a collision with a minibus full of Italian tourists.
Two people from the bus – four-year-old Lorenzo Ciociola and a woman – were also killed in the late-night crash.
Lorenzo’s mother, Concetta, was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in a critical condition. His father, Alfredo, and three-year-old brother were also injured.
Relatives of the family, who are from Syracuse, Sicily arrived in the UK on Saturday to be at their bedsides.
Meanwhile the driver of the 4×4, named locally as 39-year-old Morag Smith, from Aberchirder, was taken to Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin.
The accident happened near the Drummuir junction, between Huntly and Keith, on Thursday at about 11.50pm.
Bus driver Mr Reid and his friends, who were travelling in a Nissan X-Trail, had been returning from a country music night in Elgin.
Mr Reid, originally from Aberchirder, had served in the army tank corps in Northern Ireland before working as a Stagecoach bus driver in later years.
He was a devoted fan of Highland League side Deveronvale and had driven the team bus at one stage.
The club has confirmed it will hold a minute’s silence before Saturday’s fixture against Nairn County in Banff.
Jim Mair, chairman, said: “Ted was a regular attendee even after he stopped driving the bus.
“He was a nice man and very loyal to the club, everyone here is very shocked by this and is very saddened for his friends and family.”
Another man who knew Mr Reid through the Highland League community and wished to remain anonymous said Mr Reid was a “nice guy who was liked by everybody”.
A number of tributes were also left on the Macduff and Its Community page on Facebook.
Patricia Buchan wrote: “We moved from Macduff in 2006 but Ted never failed to speak to us when we got on the 35 in Meldrum.
“I remember him walking his dog round Macduff also from the bingo, he never passed you by always stopped to speak.
“Just wanted his family to know we are thinking of them at this very sad time, he will be missed by many.”
Bill Watson also wrote: “Ted you will never know the sad heart you have given to a lot a lot of people your smile, your craic, toot oh the bus horn.”
Ms Collie was a well-known face as a member of the Aberchirder and Community District Association.
She was also instrumental in helping vulnerable people in the area, running a day care centre on behalf of the Gordon Dementia Service in Inverurie for more than 20 years.
The shocking incident has left communities around the A96 reeling with floral tributes left at the scene over the incident.
Police said those killed in the crash would be formally identified later today.
