Nine new street pastors have been appointed to offer help to people in Inverness city centre at night.
The recruits were commissioned at a special service at the Inverness Baptist Church on Castle Street on Friday.
Their addition to the ranks takes the total number of volunteers in the Highland capital to 40.
Across the UK, there are now 14,000 street pastors working in 400 communities.
The service in Inverness has now entered its ninth year, and there are also teams operating in nearby Elgin and Tain.
Street pastors are known for assisting night-time revellers, including handing out flip-flops, bottled water and safety blankets, while also listening to those who want to talk.
Mark Hadfield, co-ordinator of Inverness Street Pastors, and also a director of the national body, the Ascension Trust (Scotland), said: “This is a very happy event for us.
“We will be looking back in celebration as well as forward in expectation.
“I am humbled at the way Inverness has taken street pastors to its heart over the past eight or nine years and I look forward to us continuing to serve the city as we welcome our newest recruits out onto the streets with us.”
As well as the city centre, the street pastors can also often be found in Inverness communities such as Merkinch and Hilton.
They also provide a “one-of-a-kind” service in the city during the day, an initiative which is now into its fifth year.
Working in partnership with Highland Council, NHS Highland, Police Scotland and Inverness BID, they aim to create a safer environment in the areas where they work.
Inverness Ness-side councillor Jean Slater attended the ceremony on Friday night.
She said: “It was a wonderful evening, I’m so pleased to have been able to be with them all.
“The work carried out by the volunteers in and around Inverness really does make a difference.”
