Shellfish fans flock to oyster festival

Visitor numbers to the event are expected to have beaten the previous record

A festival celebrating the wild, native oyster beds of south west Scotland is on course to set a new attendance record.

The Stranraer Oyster Festival was held from Friday to Sunday in the former ferry town.

Organisers said they expected overall visitor numbers to have exceeded the previous record of 20,000 over the three days.

Launched in 2017 - the festival was developed partly to address the economic damage caused by the ferry port moving from Stranraer to nearby Cairnryan in 2011.

The festival celebrates the oysters from the wild native beds near Stranraer

Attendances are expected to have reached record levels this year

Independent analysis has shown the event has generated millions of pounds for the area.

It helps to showcase a number of local businesses and organisations while providing volunteering and training opportunities.

Among the attractions on offer this year were a wide range of cookery demonstrations using the local shellfish.

There was also a shucking competition to see who could open oysters in the quickest time.

Seafood was at the heart of the celebrations in Stranraer

The oyster festival opened on Friday and lasted for three days

The festival has been held in the former ferry town since 2017

A range of cookery demonstrations were part of the event

There was plenty of food for people to try during the festival