DOZENS of farms across Scotland have been transformed as part of a national competition to create artwork using only bales of hay.

As farmers gear up for the short winter days, the artistic and creative talent of members of the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs (SAYFC) has sprung up in fields around the country.

From trains to cartoon characters such as Bill and Ben, the young farmers have showed a creative side that will stand them in good stead in the future when they will running their own farms.

SAYFC members were challenged to create bale art which includes a celebration of the Scotch Lamb brand as the rural art competition coincides with a major push by Quality Meat Scotland to raise awareness of the brand.

The bale art will also be supporting the STV Children’s Appeal which has raised £13.7 million in the past six years and provided support to over 62,000 children in every region of Scotland.

TV presenter Lorraine Kelly, who is a trustee of the appeal, will judge the young farmers’ finalist entries in the competition.

Kelly said the designs would "bring smiles to the faces of people who enjoy the creations springing up in stubble fields throughout Scotland".

“This is a brilliant initiative by Scotland’s young farmers," she said.

The Scotch Lamb theme of the 2017 bale art ties in with a marketing campaign which QMS is currently running to inspire millions of Scots about how easy it is to cook tasty, quick Scotch Lamb meals.

Jim McLaren, Chairman of QMS, said: “We’re delighted the young farmers have chosen to showcase Scotch Lamb in this year’s bale art competition.

“It is fantastic to see the next generation of our industry taking such pride in their brands and we hope that their creativity will also serve to inspire the public about all the Scotch Lamb brand stands for too.”