Music fans headed to Arbroath for the Bell Rock Blues Festival at the weekend.
Now in its fifth year, the three-day live music event continues to be a popular fixture on the Angus music scene, with added significance this time round as the county celebrates the bicentenary of the Bell Rock Lighthouse.
Due to the success of previous festivals some of the bars opened early, with music running from Friday evening through to the closing final sets late on Sunday night.
There was no entry charge to see any of the bands, but organisers sold programmes at 50p and black T-shirts were available at £5.
The Fisherman’s Inn and the Westport Bar were two new pubs added to the usual line-up, which included the Anchor Bar, Bowlers, Burns Bar, Coast, Commercial Inn, Foundry Bar, Lorne Bar, Millgate Bar, Pageant Bar, St Thomas Bar and the Station Bar.
Angus Council provided the organising committee with £300 towards running costs, on the condition the festival was held on a weekend that didn’t clash with any other events.
In previous years it had been run on the same day as the town’s popular SeaFest, but a decision was taken to split the two to increase the potential tourist draw.
Festival organiser Sandra Nicoll, who runs the Pageant Bar, said she was delighted with the uptake from music lover of all ages.
“I haven’t been round all of the pubs that took part yet, but from what I have heard all the reports have been good.
“I have spoken to lots of blues fans who have said it has been absolutely brilliant and we had three fantastic gigs at The Pageant on Saturday.
“Everybody seems to be speaking highly of it.”
Bands from Italy, Germany, Finland and Spain applied to be involved in the festival, but there was no budget to bring them over.
Nevertheless an array of mainly Scottish talent was on display, with some Newcastle bands drawing big crowds alongside the regular Arbroath favourites.
Many of the local acts had a sprinkling of Eastern European talent among their number and there was an international feel to the blues crowd, who were dressed in a typically distinctive style.
Over Saturday and Sunday alone there were more than 40 performances featuring 22 bands, with a few last-minute cancellations replaced by others waiting in reserve.
The event was sponsored by Diageo and Angus Council in addition to a number of local businesses and firms that advertised in the festival programme.