It took 800 years, but for the residents of the tiny Angus village of East Haven it was well worth waiting for.
Their population was multiplied several times over on Saturday as people flocked to a maritime and heritage festival that was the centrepiece of their octocentenary celebrations.
Lead organiser Wendy Murray said: “This is the largest event of its kind ever to have been held in East Haven and we are delighted to welcome people from all over Scotland, the rest of the UK, Europe and as far away as Australia.
“East Haven only has 53 properties and a population of around 120, so when we embarked on East Haven 800 we wondered whether our community was too small to achieve anything that would make a real difference.
“However, in the space of 12 months East Haven has grown beyond the geographical boundaries of the village to embrace a much larger community.
“We have been overwhelmed by the support and generosity of individuals, community organisations, Angus Council and local businesses.
“On behalf of everyone involved in East Haven 800 we would like to extend our sincere thanks.”
Among the highlights of the day was the debut performance by Carnoustie and District Youth Brass Band of a piece of music specially written for the octocentenary.
The Haven was the work of Gregor Beattie, a composer who lives in the village.
Another resident, 14-year-old Priya Ferguson, sang at the opening ceremony.
Puppeteer and storyteller Sylvia Troon also took part and there were a variety of stalls and displays, covering everything from making fresh smokies to marking twinning links with Maule in France.
Carnoustie Art Society and Carnoustie Photography Club held exhibitions of original works that have been created over the past year and, thanks to all four Carnoustie schools, visitors could also read detailed storyboards about the history of the village.
Dr Sandy McKendrick, Deputy Lieutenant of Angus and a former East Haven resident, performed the opening ceremony and said it had been “an enormous privilege” to be asked to take part.
“I want to celebrate the fantastic work that has been done by the people in East Haven. They gave themselves 12 projects to do about a year ago and I am told they have managed to do them all.”
Angus Provost Helen Oswald was also a special guest.
Congratulating everyone involved in organising and contributing to the day, she said: “The project has caught the imagination not only of the residents of East Haven, but of Carnoustie and all across Angus.”