AN ARMADA of vessels took to the water in a battle of speed, skill - and simply staying afloat.

And they were crewed by some of the most colourful characters imaginable, from The Spice Girls to pirates and stars of the Despicable Me movie series.

The annual Annan Riding of the Marches Raft Race was once again hailed as a splash-tastic success, with almost a dozen craft going for glory in front of hundreds of spectators.

With strong wind blowing, they paddled down the River Annan on Sunday afternoon - with some falling overboard as they paddled and battled.

The race, which featured about a dozen rafts, is one of the highlights of Riding of the Marches (RoM) fortnight, which culminates on march-riding day - the biggest date in Annan’s diary - on Saturday.

RoM convenor Stuart Thompson said: “There was a good turnout. People always put a lot of time and effort into their entries. The raft race is always a colourful spectacle.

“It seemed to go well.”

The race, which was accompanied by family activities on the Everholm, followed the Kirkin’ of the Cornet ceremony earlier in the day.

A packed diary of events leading up to the big day included the final ride-out through the town’s streets last night where a cavalcade of horses and riders carried out preparations for an inspection of the royal burgh’s ancient boundaries on Saturday.

Tomorrow will see the annual Cornet’s Ball followed by a penny-pitching tournament and yard of ale spectacle on Thursday evening.

Queen of the Border Lucy Cliffe was crowned in a ceremony on the High Street on Friday evening, watched by a strong crowd of family, friends and supporters.

Other events which have already taken place have included a trip out to the historic Alter Stane in the Solway estuary, sporting competitions and visits to schools to celebrate the successes their pupils.