Fun in the sun at Inverness's first Get Set For Summer
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More than 1000 people went along to check out Inverness's first Get Set For Summer free family fun day.
With temperatures hovering around 25 degrees, many visitors to the Northern Meeting Park for the six-hour event – which started at 11am today – cooled off with ice creams, water and other refreshments.
Food traders were in demand, while craft stalls attracted attention and many charities and other organisations spread awareness of their efforts by offering games including human fruit machine and nail in the bale to passers-by.
Sports clubs drew interest with a football area, table tennis and Highland Rugby Club.
Entertainment also came from singers including Highland Voices Gospel Choir and Ness Factor 2022 winner Gregor Mathieson and there was dancing from Cheryl Heggie School of Dance, Performers UK, Fraser School of Dance, and StepNStyle, as well as the City of Inverness Youth Pipe Band.
Les Kidger, director of LCC Live, and High Life Highland’s chief executive Steve Walsh were behind the exciting programme of fun activities, live entertainment and major prize giveaways.
It was designed to give something back to the community during at a time of cost-of-living challenges.
"Today has been absolutely fantastic," Mr Kidger said. "It's great that the families of Inverness and the Highlands have come along and supported this.
"The weather has been on our side and it's just been fun – and the most important thing is that their has been a smile on everyone's face. That was the idea when we thought about this just a few weeks ago.
"The idea was to give something back. We're all going through tough times and money is tight, so this has been great and we're so proud to be part of it.
"It's great to have all the different traders, charities and other organisations involved and I'd love to do something like this again.
"The winds came together for this one and we managed to bring everything together but obviously there is redevelopment coming here and at Bught Park, but it's definitely something to remember for the future and I'm sure people would want it again."
Mr Walsh said: "We're just trying to get everyone ready for summer. Today has been a free event focused on families and we've had loads and loads of community groups here showing what they do, which is fantastic and people had a great time.
"We couldn't do it without Les and his team because they have the infrastructure here this week for the concerts next weekend [Clean Bandit and Rag'N'Bone Man] so it's been a really good partnership.
"We've pulled this together in about a month, maybe six weeks, and our events manager Amy MacLeod has done an incredible job.
"I don't know how many people have been here during the course of the day but it's certainly in the thousands, which is terrific.
"We will think about doing this again but it'll likely be in 2025 after the work here is completed. The Northern Meeting Park is such a great space and we're ecstatic that this turned out so well."
We'll have more photos from the event in the coming days.
