|PIC1|Organisers of the Highland Festival with Luis Palau today branded the event a "howling success”.

Over 100 churches took part, supplying over 1,000 volunteers for the 63 separate events which took place in Inverness and across the Highlands over the two week period.

More than 20,000 people were directly reached with the Gospel, with around 750 making decisions for Christ.

At the climax of the festival in Inverness' Bught Park on 19 and 20 June, Palau preached to a total of about 8,000 people, who also enjoyed free entertainment from leading Christian bands such as Delirious?, Hillsong London, LZ7 and The Listening.

Extreme sports demonstrations from professional skateboarders and BMX riders also proved a great success, especially with the thousands of young people who attended.

As well as the large numbers of people making professions of faith,organisers said a "very welcome" aspect of the mission was the sense of unity it spawned in the participating churches, representing more than half of the places of worship in the Highlands across the denominations. Lord Mackay of Clashfern chaired the organising committee.

The festival began on 8 June, when teams visited a number of the smaller Highland communities. Evangelists teamed up with musicians, athletes, and children’s entertainers to put on “mini festivals” in Gairloch, Mallaig, Lochinver, Buckie, Golspie, Fort William, Forres and Thurso.

Champion skateboard and bicycle stunt teams travelled to a total of 39 schools, where a team of youth speakers presented a positive Christian message and addressed keynote issues for young people such as stress, bullying, and drug and alcohol abuse. Luis’s son Andrew, who was also a keynote festival speaker, spoke to prisoners inside Inverness jail.

Randal Burtis, who organised the event on behalf of the Luis Palau Association, said: “This effort was a howling success which exceeded our all expectations. To reach 20,000 people with a positive message of hope is something that the local organising committee should be very proud of.

"It was their efforts that made the festival free and well publicised for all of their friends and neighbours.

"The Luis Palau Association found a wonderful spirit of cooperation in all the Highland communities we visited. Highland Festival with Luis Palau was definitely one of the major highlights of our ministry."