The new Dobbies Garden Centre in Inverness opened on Friday, marking the company's 15th centre in Scotland.
As the new Garden World centre welcomed its first customers, celebrity gardener Chris Beardshaw was on hand to cut the ribbon as part of the official opening; alongside was nine-year-old local school girl, Demi Johnston, who won a competition to design an eco-garden, which will be built at her school with the help of staff from the Dobbies centre.

The store's general manager, Andrew Barton, said: "We are delighted to announce that our new garden centre in Inverness is now officially open. Our new store brings a new-generation garden centre to the area which will not only offer quality, range and value to customers who love their home and garden; but also a unique day-out destination for all the family to enjoy."

Mr Beardshaw answered gardeners' questions and explained about the company's Here We Grow programme - a national initiative which encourages local communities to develop green space in their areas.

He added: "It has been a great pleasure to help Demi cut the floral ribbon and officially open the new Dobbies Garden World. Community projects are vital to bringing opportunities and support to our schools, community groups, and charities, and I am really pleased to see businesses such as Dobbies investing in our gardening future."

Fiona MacBeath has been appointed as a community champion and will be responsible for building links with local communities through the Here We Grow programme.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury and MP for Inverness, Danny Alexander, also turned up on Friday.

He said: "It speaks to the strength of our local economy that Dobbies have chosen to invest in the centre at Inshes. On top of the vital jobs they are creating, I look forward to seeing what they bring to the city."

The Inverness centre at the Inshes Retail Park occupies a former Focus DIY unit and shares an entrance with the Tesco store next door. Inside Dobbies is a Food Market, offering a wide range of fresh food and drink, and a restaurant.