Castlebank Park Harvest Festival 2014 Slideshow

Growing gardeners...Sylvia Russell cultivates a new generation of green-fingered volunteers at the first ever Castlebank Park Harvest Festival (Pics by Katherine Sutherland)

They grew vegetables and made scarecrows for competitions and turned up with their families who bought plants and enjoyed a cup of tea outdoors in the sunshine.

“It was a an excellent day,” said Sylvia Russell, who chairs Lanark Development Trust which runs the project.

“We are really chuffed that people are coming out to support what we are doing here.”

Teatime tearoom again donated the tea and cakes for the afternoon and Lanark in Bloom members – also celebrating their success in the Beautiful Scotland competition – sold plants and vegetables from their polytunnel.

There was face painting and the chance to join in a scavenger hunt or just sit and blether, enjoying the autumn afternoon.

The schools scarecrow competition attracted seven entries from schools and Rainbow Guides which were dotted around among the giant sunflowers dominating the compound.

Donations brought in £175 to round off a successful afternoon.

Freelance photographer Katherine Sutherland was on hand to capture the action for the Gazette and her pictures are featured in our slidehsow, compiled by editor Julie Currie.