Information boards to celebrate more than 300 years of fishing heritage at a Moray tourist attraction have been unveiled.
Salmon have been caught at the mouth of the River Spey for centuries.
The stone buildings now used by charity Whale and Dolphin Conservation’s Scottish Dolphin Centre (SDC) at Spey Bay were originally built to serve the industry.
At its peak, more than 150 people were employed in the Tugnet complex, which was also served by its own barrel-making cooperage and ice house, which is the largest surviving example of its kind in Scotland.
Now the history of the buildings is being remembered as part of a new display at the attraction, which is now open during the winter after funding from the Beatrice wind farm paid for a biomass plant fuelled by woodchip.
Pictures of birds commonly spotted at the mouth of the Spey during winter, including pink-footed geese, wigeon and turnstone, have also been created to replace information about dolphins, which are harder to spot in choppy water.
Lisa Farley, SDC officer, said: “It’s quite transformational to be open all year because it allows us to not only continue the education work we do during the summer but also do fresh work during the winter.
“Lots of migratory birds visit the Moray Forth at this time of year that you wouldn’t get the chance to see during the warmer months, so it’s nice to focus on them.
“We have a lot of people who come to walk along the beach here too. They’ve enjoyed being able to come in out of the cold while not coming here necessarily to learn about the work we do.”
At the weekend Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston and Fochabers Lhanbryde councillor Marc Macrae visited the attraction to learn more about its conservation work.
A Scottish Parliament motion has been lodged by the MSP to congratulate staff on the improvements that have been made.
Mr Macrae said: “The centre attracts a considerable number of visitors every year to the area.
“The launch of the new winter opening hours will allow tourists to learn more about what they are doing in the coming months.”
