A quirky family past-time started in the spring by a Montrose woman and her daughter has become a summer-sensation in Angus.
Families have been using the school holidays to hunt down Angus Rocks — stones painted and hidden all across Courier Country.
The idea of the project is for participants to spread some simple joy by painting or drawing pictures or simple positive messages on stones.
They hide them and whoever finds the stones can re-hide them for more treasure hunters to search out.
The fun past-time has proved particularly popular for younger children who have been posting pictures of their finds on the Angus Rocks Facebook page.
It now has 2,500 followers, 200 of whom have joined in the last two days.
Angus Rocks’ founder Nicola Learmonth, 32, a mum of six from Montrose, said she has been overwhelmed with the number of people who have joined the craze.
She said: “I started it in the May holiday when the kids were off school and we were looking for something to do.
“I had seen a similar project in Stonehaven so set up Montrose rocks.
“It started to spread throughout all the towns so it is now Angus Rocks.
“It has completely taken off.”
Nicola initially started the local group with her nine-year-old daughter Evie Henderson and 10-year-old niece Olly Learmonth.
They collected their first rocks from the beach at St Cyrus, painted them and then hid them at Sunnyside, but pictures of the rocks have been posted from all over Angus.
She said: “Within the first couple of days we had up to 600 people who had found the stones and it took off from there.”
People have brought rocks back to hide in the county, with stones from the Isle of Skye and Culzean Castle in Ayrshire now hidden.
One family on holiday from Ocala, Florida found a rock at a viewing point on the way to Glencoe.
The stone was originally hidden on Skye and is now somewhere in Angus.
Stones have been found at local beauty spots including Balmashanner in Forfar, local beaches and playparks.
You can follow Angus Rocks on Facebook.
