Despite the work of LGBT charities and the success of events such as Grampian pride, hate crimes against LGBT people have nearly doubled in the last year.

Figures released in June revealed that crime aggravated by sexual orientation rose from 35 offences in 2016/17 to 69.

Last year Aberdeen had been placed as the seventh highest region for recorded LGBT hate crime in Scotland.

As a result of the new figures, the region had jumped to having the third highest number of offences of its kind in Scotland.

The official data also revealed the number of crimes aggravated by sexuality in Inverness had trebled, rising from five to 16.

In the Wick the fiscal office recorded eight instances of such crimes, compared to four reports in the 2016/17 period.

Across the rest of the north-east, LGBT hate crime rates remained at similarly low rates to previous years.

The figures have, however, been viewed as evidence that more people have the confidence to report such offences to the police.

Community Safety Minister Annabelle Ewing said: “It’s reassuring to see more people are coming forward to report hate crime.

“A significant amount of work has been done by Police Scotland, the Crown Office and community organisations over the past year to ensure this is happening.”