Youngsters packed Peterhead Lido yesterday as they showed off their impressive imaginations during an annual sandcastle competition.
Sand on the sunny beach was shaped into turtles, a hippo, a boat and a replica of the Peterhead FC football pitch.
One entrant even recreated the moon landing as a way of marking the recent 50th anniversary of the successful lunar mission.
Hundreds of people took part in the competitions, with friends and family uniting to build their creations.
One of the more experienced sandcastle builders was 69-year-old Billy Proctor, who has been taking part in the competition every year since it began 58 years ago.
His six-year-old grandson Dylan Mclean built a “sand city” and decorated it with shells, with the help of his granddad.
Mr Proctor, who is from Peterhead, said: “Dylan had drawn it all out ahead of time and is making his city of castles – I’m the labourer who goes to get water when he needs it.
“Dylan did want to create a Harry Potter train this year, but we couldn’t get the structure to work.
“It’s great to see so many kids outside taking part, and off of their computers.
“For a few years the competition got a bit quieter as they ran it over a few days, but now it’s one day and it’s always busy.
“It’s so popular, it doesn’t cost a thing and we love coming.”
Kelsey McNeil, 10, her five-year-old sister Madison McNeil and Esther Paterson, also five, come to the competition most years.
They created a turtle with shells they had taken home and painted ahead of the event, to go alongside the girl they also crafted from sand.
Kelsey explained that the group had dreamt up the idea of making the female from a mound of sand, and then adding a skirt made of shells.
But the event was a first for some, including five-year-old Jackson Lemon and his 10-year-old sister Kacie.
They joined forces with pal Stephanie Forbes, 10, to build a Disney palace.
Mum Julie Forbes said: “This is a first for us.
“We ended up having the day off and thought the weather was nice so took the kids down to give it a go.
“It seems really popular.”
