Spreading the love as Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival celebrates 20 years
The tartan-dressed stilt-walker smiled regally over the scene before her - and declared yes, she was definitely feeling the love.
The Belladrum Queen of Hearts, clutching a heart-shaped wand in one hand and red handbag in the other, was mingling with festival-goers as their numbers grew by each hour on the opening day of Belladrum Festival.
Over in the camping areas surrounding the arenas, the temporary tented community was quickly expanding as the first of 20,000 visitors ranging from babes towed along in pull-along buggies to veteran revellers began descending on the site near Beauly for three days of music, entertainment and a good time.
Thousands start arriving at start of Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival
‘We want to give you the best night ever’ - says Ricky Ross of Belladrum headliners Deacon Blue
PICTURES: Day one at Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival
As the festival celebrates 20 years, it seems many are embracing this year’s theme of Love, according to the Queen of Hearts.
“Everyone is enjoying themselves and spreading the love,” she declared. “It has been fabulous so far.”
Her message to festival-goers?
“Give the person next to you a cuddle,” she replied unequivocally.
Such is the quirky and friendly atmosphere for which the festival is renowned.
While the opening day headliners such as Sugababes and Sophie Ellis-Bextor wowed the crowds, the real stars are perhaps the festival-goers themselves.
Pick a convenient place to pause for a spot of people watching and you can be assured of delightful theatrical spectacle unfolding in front of you.
Where else but Belladrum would you find young Highlanders in kilts, a dancing dinosaur and a group of mature men in sparkling sequins and glitter facepaint - and it all seem an utterly normal everyday scene.
By mid afternoon, drizzle crept in and a few sharp showers later on but did not last long enough to dampen the enthusiasm of the revellers.
The festival prides itself on delivering a broad range of music genres and this year there are 14 stages.
On the Ice House Stage, for example, the Great Glen Swing Band belted out a fabulous set featuring mellow melodic numbers to upbeat songs which had the crowd swaying along.
Nearby on the Hothouse Stage, Trail West - a six-piece line-up with strong links to the Western Highlands and Islands - was a hugely popular draw.
Meanwhile, wannabe Johnny Cashes or Gloria Gaynors headed for Bella Karoke to perform. Whether many progress to the Hothouse Stage is another matter but certainly they and their audiences were having a fabulous time.
In the Walled Garden, pub games were taking place in Burke n Hare while those needing some respite from walking around the site could seek out the services of a mobile massage.
During the evening, the thousands watching Nathan Evans perform on the Garden Stage were unexpectedly witnesses to a wedding on the stage.
Love was definitely in the air.
Today, it all continues with headline acts including Jake Bugg, James Arthur and Ocean Colour Scene - but not forgetting Bella Blind Date and Bella Wrestling in the Venus Flytrap Palais.
And did someone mention a Bella Flashmob?
