Perth residents looked on in astonishment on Thursday as almost two tonnes of apples made their way across the Tay in a naval vessel.
Errol winery owner Ron Gillies collected the fruit from Moncreiffe Island to create his Carse of Gowrie cider.
At a loss how to cart the load, he put out an SOS call, which was answered by Perth Sea Cadets.
The boat delivered the apples from the orchard at King James VI Golf Club to the unit’s Shore Road base.
The Carse is one of Scotland’s main apple growing areas, with many orchards set up in the 12th century by monks.
In 2007, the community came together to form the Carse of Gowrie Historic Orchards Project.
It aims to develop the orchards and encourage the planting of fruit trees.
Mr Gillies is one of the initiative’s leading lights and champions Carse produce across the country.
With the help of Cittaslow Perth, which supports traditional local goods, Mr Gillies and his colleagues started harvesting.
Mr Gillies, of the Cairn o’ Mohr Winery, said “Last year I produced Carse of Gowrie apple juice and cider as a wee experiment to gauge public interest.
“I was amazed at the level of demand for quality, locally produced products that draw on the food traditions of our area and was concerned that I would struggle to source enough apples to meet demand in 2010.
“The King James VI Golf Club has been very kind to allow me to harvest their apple trees but I was faced with a dilemma in getting the apples off Moncreiffe Island. I didn’t fancy carrying two tonnes by hand across the footbridge.
“I’m grateful for the help of Perth Sea Cadets in providing the only viable transportation to move the apples from the island to the mainland.”
Cittaslow Perth chairman Jack Coburn said, “One of the key aims of Cittaslow is to encourage individuals and businesses to use and enjoy more quality local produce.
“Ron Gillies and Cairn o’Mohr have long been at the forefront of local food and drink initiatives and are renowned for producing quality fruit wines in imaginative ways.
“I’m delighted that the King James VI Golf Club has been able to help Ron source new supplies of local apples and I look forward to tasting his 2010 apple juice and cider.”