AROUND 40 children in an Easter Ross community enjoyed the chance for an early audience with Santa at the weekend.

The Mansfield Hub in Tain organised the grotto event on Saturday with locals able to gather for a catch-up over mince pies and children getting the chance to see the man in red and take away a small gift.

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The event teamed up with Mansfield Residents Association and CCAST Highland.

It also runs a community food larder which, since August, has helped to feed around 90 households. It will be open on Christmas Eve between 7:30-8:30pm for anyone to pop in to grab any bits from the fridge and table before closing for the holidays.

The Hub and CCAST will be back open on Monday, January 8, 2024.

And starting in January, it will be holding a coffee pop-in on Wednesdays from 11am-1pm where fresh hot soup will be available to give people a chance to have a hot meal and some company.

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Did you see Santa coming out of the sky for his Kyle of Lochaslh appearance? Read more here.

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