A Mearns museum has been officially unveiled as the region’s second four-star tourist attraction.
Following assessment by Visit Scotland, the Maggie Law Maritime Museum in Gourdon has been upgraded to a four-star visitor attraction.
The success makes it only the second attraction with that rating in the Mearns along with Stonehaven Outdoor Pool.
Museum chairwoman Jacky Niven was joined by Aberdeenshire provost Hamish Vernal for the unveiling.
She said: “We are thrilled to have achieved this award.
“It is indeed a testament to dedication, to vision and in the realisation that our community asset is much more than a building.
“It shares many stories, connects many lives and brings yesterday, today and tomorrow together.
“It makes for a unique visitor experience.”
The provost, volunteers and members of the local community were joined by Councillor Carl Nelson, Councillor David Stewart, Aberdeenshire Council area manager Willie Munro and Dennis MacFarlane of Visit Scotland.
The upgrade follows a highly successful week of celebration events in the name of two lynchpins of local maritime history.
The centrepiece event took place on Sunday November 22 when a Historic Scotland plaque was dedicated to the Cutty Sark’s designer Hercules Linton, who was born in Inverbervie’s Market Square and was educated at Arbroath High School.
The events in Gourdon and Inverbervie also celebrated boat builder Jeems Mowatt.
Glasgow shipping merchant John Willis commissioned Linton to design the famous tea clipper, which was launched on November 22 1869.
Linton later commissioned Mowatt to build two boats and supervised their construction at the Gourdon man’s yard.
Mowatt built more than 200 boats in his lifetime and the Maggie Law surf boat, which celebrated its 125th years since first launch this year, is the only one to survive today.
The museum surrounding it is an old two-storey coastguard building, which sits beside the old harbour and slipway in the centre of Gourdon.
During the winter season, the William Street museum is open Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 4.30pm.