Organisers of a north-east highland games festival received a boost yesterday when councillors backed their plans to reintroduce the event.
Stonehaven Highland Games has been cancelled for the last two years but is due to return this summer.
Members of the Kincardine and Mearns area committee agreed to grant £1,613 towards the costs of staging the two-day festival.
In 2012, the games were cancelled for the first time since their inception in 1978 due to heavy rain flooding Mineralwell Park.
Last year, the committee said the event did not go ahead due to operational issues.
This year, the games will be held at the new venue of Mackie Academy on Saturday, July 19, and Sunday, July 20.
A mini Highland games will take place on the Saturday between local schools with events such as 400m and 800m races, long jump, high jump, tossing the caber and the tug o’ war.
The main event will take place on the Sunday and include Highland dancing, running and heavy events and, for the first time, a pipe band competition.
Chairman of the Stonehaven Highland Games Committee Roger Barnett, of Catterline, said the donation was “a fantastic cash injection” for the group.
Although this is the first year the 47-year-old has helped organise the event, he said it would be his 15th games after watching his father, also Roger, previously lead the committee.
He said: “The money from Aberdeenshire Council will allow us to advertise and do up our website.
“We are involving Mackie Academy and all 11 primary schools to the south of Aberdeen in a mini-Highland games event this year.”
Mr Barnett said mini timber cabers will be made specially for the children’s competitions to allow them to experience a real Highland Games as far as possible.
He added: “There will also be a pipe band competition which is sponsored by Alba Power at Netherley.
“It will be a chance for all the local pipe bands in the area to come along.”
The total of £10,963 had been budgeted for the coast of the festival.