Volunteers hope the huge success of a winter light show has set up a Moray attraction for a bumper summer.
More than 12,000 people weaved their way up the network of paths to Nelson’s Tower in Forres for the inaugural Colours of Cluny event last year.
The enchanting evening display involved the woodland being lit up in a spectacular array of colours with an atmospheric soundtrack.
Beams of light from Nelson’s Tower, which formed the centrepiece of the attraction, shone out across the Moray Firth from the hill’s summit.
And the town’s heritage trust believe many of those tourists will now come back to the town to enjoy the panoramic views during the daylight.
Chairman George Alexander said: “If we want to attract people to Forres then we have to make use of everything we can, there were thousands of people here for Colours of Cluny.
“We’ve had more than 2,500 visitors to the tower each summer for the last five or six years now.
“There’s been quite a bit of work done during the winter to make it a bit more prominent. We’ve cleared away a lot of the shrubbery to make it more visible from the road and we’re planning on opening a new viewing platform at the top of the tower.”
Colours of Cluny brought an estimated £125,000 bonus to the local economy during its 10-night run in November.
The event proved so popular in its inaugural run that organisers have already planned an expansion for later this year.
Attracting visitors to the town throughout the year was the inspiration for Forres Features in devising the illuminating lights show.
The tower opened to visitors for the summer again at the weekend with new additions including a bust of Lord Nelson.
Forres Heritage Trust currently manages the tower, which is owned by the town’s common good fund.
Volunteer John Mackenzie said: “It was fun to have so many people up the hill during Colours of Cluny.
“We’re certainly hoping a lot of them come back to see it during the day – the views are fantastic, you can see right along the coast.”
