A group of gnomes have set up home on an island in the Firth of Forth – and no-one knows how they got there.
Known as ‘Gnome Island’, this rock just off Swallow Craig near Inchcolm Island, has become home to a bunch of garden gnomes.
The first bearded little chaps appeared back in 2010, with some people speculating that they were left by local fishermen or women.
Other local legends claim that the gnomes escaped from a local garden centre, or that they were shipwrecked.
Scott Aston, skipper of the Maid of the Forth, takes up to 100 tourists per day to the island, and says that visitors "crack up" at the sight.
READ MORE: Boy, 13, charged after fire at abandoned building in Dunfermline
"One story behind it is that these gnomes escaped from a garden centre under cover of darkness.
"They made a bid for freedom, escaped over to Inchgnome – and they’ve established their own colony out there. That’s how the legend goes.
"We hear people on the boat all the time asking, 'Is that a gnome?' and then they see the sign that says Inchgnome and they laugh at that."
Scott has run sightseeing cruises on the Forth for 18 years, with trips running daily from Easter until October.
During his time in the job, he says he has seen the gnome population mysteriously increase each winter - but says he has no idea how.
He laughed: "Nobody knows how they got there, and nobody knows why they’re there – but they do seem to multiply every winter!"
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here