Thousands descend on Paisley for Halloween festival

Paisley is hosting its annual Halloween parade over the weekend

Thousands of visitors have descended on Paisley for the town's annual Halloween festival.

The event's popular parade was the main spectacle of the night featuring popular characters from children's books and films such as Harry Potter, Fantastic Mr Fox and Where the Wild Things Are.

More than 400 performers and community groups - including a striking troupe of illuminated drummers - snaked through the town centre in a macabre procession on Friday night.

Festivities are due to continue on Saturday, with the town's buildings adorned in spooky installations and light displays.

The Halloween festival includes a funfair and includes entertainment for children and adults.

Activities take place from 14:00 until 21:00 on Saturday, including live performances, arts and crafts, street food and another parade at 19:00.

The event is delivered by Renfrewshire Council in partnership with performance specialists Cirque Bijou.

It comes the same week that Paisley was crowned Scotland's Town of the Year, in recognition of its "remarkable" revival.

The town's high street was among those badly hit by online shopping, out-of-town retail parks and the cost of living crisis.

But judges for the Scotland Loves Local awards praised Paisley for reaching a "critical point" in its transformation, driven by major investment and cultural renewal - citing events like the Halloween festival.