Jury trials at Peterhead Sheriff Court are moving to Aberdeen.

The plans are part of a ten-year project to change the Scottish court system.

The final jury trial took place in Peterhead at the end of July.

The Scottish Court and Tribunal Service says the court will still operate for all other cases.

There are concerns the move could put more pressure on the sheriff court in Aberdeen.

Labour North East Scotland MSP Lewis Macdonald said additional pressure was worrying for a number of reasons.

He said: "That is bad news of course for the people who work there but it is also bad news for everyone involved in court cases.

"It means if there are more cases than the court can handle then they get pushed back and you have delay after delay.

"Prolonged cases that should be sorted quickly take a long time to get through the system."