The centre of Elgin will come alive this weekend when some colourful sculptures are unveiled during a day of celebrations.
The traditional roles of town crier and drummer boy will be reprised for the occasion, as a procession of residents vie to be the first to glimpse the three new statues.
Artists are now adding the finishing touches to the structures, which will be unveiled by special guests on Saturday.
Local author and historian, Mary Byatt, will reveal The Wolf at the west end of the High Street at 1.30pm.
The piece is a monument to the Wolf of Badenoch – who infamously burned down Elgin Cathedral.
At 2pm, the Dandy Lion will be unveiled at the west end of the Plainstones by S3 pupils from Elgin Academy.
The curious artwork depicts a 7ft tall “mermaid lion” with various accessories designed to embody parts of the town’s past.
A statue of Elgin’s Town Drummer, William Edward, will be revealed at 2.15pm by 95-year-old war veteran and lifelong resident, Flora Christie.
Mr Edward held his post from 1760 to 1822 and became a beloved local figure in that time.
The statues have been funded by the Castle to Cathedral to Cashmere project, which aims to attract people into Elgin by linking three of its most famous landmarks with a tourist trail.
Group chairman, Jim Royan, said: “We have been able to bring a great deal of our rich heritage together, and are bringing it alive in an exciting way.”
And the Elgin Ice Festival will begin at noon on Saturday – as residents put on their skates and glide across a newly formed ice rink to celebrate the festive season.
Workers have been setting up the rink on the Plainstones over the past few days.
Festival director Jon Behari coaches at Elgin’s Caledonia Skate Club, and was inspired by the success of similar attractions across Scotland.
He said: “It’s a great way of bringing people into the centre and having people spend longer in the shops.”
The festivities will conclude with a light show at 4.30pm, where images representing more than 1,000 years of the town’s history will be beamed onto St Giles Church.
The projections will continue each evening throughout the winter.
