Angus folk rocked by painted stone hunt craze.

Stones painted and hidden all across Courier Country have families in the hunt for ‘treasure’

A quirky family pastime started in the spring by a Montrose woman and her daughter has become a summersensation in Angus.

Families have been using the school holidays to hunt down Angus Rocks — stones painted and hidden all across Courier Country.

The idea of the project is for participants to spread some joy by painting or drawing pictures or simple positive messages on stones.

They hide them and whoever finds the stones can rehide them for more treasure hunters to search out.

The fun pastime has proved particularly popular for younger children who have been posting pictures of their finds on the Angus Rocks Facebook page.

It now has 2,500 followers, 200 of whom have joined in the last two days.

Angus Rocks founder Nicola Learmonth, 32, a Montrose mum of six, said she has been overwhelmed with the number of people who have joined the craze.

She said: “I started it in the May holiday when the kids were off school and were looking for something to do.

“I had seen a similar project in Stonehaven, so set up Montrose Rocks.

“It started to spread throughout all the towns so it is now Angus Rocks. “It has completely taken off.” Nicola initially started the local group with her nine-year-old daughter Evie Henderson and 10-year-old niece Olly Learmonth. They collected their first rocks from the beach at St Cyrus, painted them and then hid them at Sunnyside, but pictures of the rocks have been posted from all over Angus.

She said: “Within the first couple of days we had up to 600 people who had found the stones and it really took off from there.”

People have brought rocks back to hide in the county, with stones from the Isle of Skye and Culzean Castle in Ayrshire now hidden.

One family on holiday from Ocala, Florida, found a rock at a viewing point on the way to Glencoe.

The stone was originally hidden on Skye and is now somewhere in Angus.

Stones have been found at local beauty spots including Balmashanner in Forfar, local beaches and playparks across the region.

You can follow Angus Rocks on Facebook.

I started it in the May holiday when the kids were off school and were looking for something to do. It has really taken off. NICOLA LEARMONTH

Picture: Kim Cessford. Rock hunters Max Park, 4, Olly Learmonth, 10, and Evie Henderson, 9, with their painted stones in Mid Links playpark, Montrose.