A Kirkgunzeon farmer is reaping the benefits of diversifying into a new crop - Christmas trees.
Rory Young of Glaisters Farms Ltd expects to harvest 50,000 firs from 260 acres of farmland this festive season.
His Scottish Christmas Trees business is now one of the biggest of its kind in Scotland.
Mr Young, who began the diversification of his family farm in 1999, started off with a small field of Fraser firs.
More than 20 years later year on year growth has seen the business develop into a major player in the Christmas tree market.
"Initially, Christmas trees were not integral to the business but we have expanded steadily," Mr Young said.
"In 2006 we sold 800 trees, whereas this year we are expecting to harvest in the region of 50,000.
"Therefore, the trees now represent a significant part of our overall annual farming enterprise turnover."
He added: "As a company, we are product, customer and environmentally focused.
"We have three varieties to choose from, the two main species, Nordman and Fraser Fir have a low-needle drop, which is what people want these days."
The wholesale market accounts for 95 per cent of the business.
Customers include garden centres, specialist sellers in the south, and London-based retailers.
Around five per cent of trees are sold locally.
Although it is a seasonal business, bringing on the trees requires year-round labour.
The farm employs five full-time workers on the trees, a number which rises to 35 during the busy harvest period.
Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank have provided finance when required, including major purchases of machinery, together with seeds and saplings from Norway, Russia and the USA.
Mr Young said: "Without this, the level of mechanisation we've achieved on the
farm wouldn't have been possible.
"They have turned their hand to a more obscure side of farming and really helped us borrow a lot of money over the years without being bound by constraints."