Thousands lined the streets of Aberdeen city centre on Saturday to welcome the much-anticipated return of the annual Torcher Parade.
The torchlit procession is one of the oldest annual student events in Europe, dating back to 1889.
It was cancelled last year due to issues with the route and security, but returned this weekend for its 127th outing with a shorter run down Union Street.
Led by charity fundraisers with flaming torches, it was followed by three floats – with each decorated and staffed by students from Aberdeen University, Robert Gordon University and NESCol.
Edward Pollock, who has resumed his business management studies after a stint as one of RGU’s student presidents, took part in the parade dressed as a lobster.
He said: “The emphasis this year was on stripping it back to what was manageable and easier to run, starting off small and showing people what it is like to get them involved next time.
“But with the lights, music and floats it still felt like Torcher always has done to me.
“There were lots of happy kids and crowds.”
However, some were underwhelmed by the scaled-back parade.
Kim Patterson travelled from Ellon for the event, but felt it was a “massive disappointment”.
She said: “We were expecting it to be the parade that it once was, with many floats and lots of students that had put a lot of effort into their outfits, but it was a bit of an anti-climax.
“I hope they learn from this and will be able to get it back to what it used to be, as there were a lot of disappointed people there.”
Mr Pollock added: “This year has been a really difficult one, and there was a lot of hard work put into the planning.
“A lot of people thought it was going to be like the older days of Torcher, but from our point of view it was day one.”
Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said: “The event attracted healthy crowds to the city centre on Saturday evening and early indications are the student collection buckets were heavy with donations.
“The Torcher Parade has a proud history in this city and its return is welcomed.
“We want to see it grow and be a key event in the calendar for many more years to come.”
