A protest has been held outside Aberdeenshire Council's headquarters against proposed changes to mental health provision.

Charities have raised fears a redesign of the programme would result in services being shut down.

Aberdeenshire Council insists it will put care where it is most needed and put an emphasis on recovery.

Astrid Whyte, chief executive of Mental Health Aberdeen, said: "We didn't expect the redesign to be so groundbreaking, more or less dispensing with current services.

"We need councillors to be aware of this decision."

The council is inviting bids from mental health groups to participate in the redesigned care programme and will decide on the changes on September 15.

Aberdeenshire Council's chief officer for health Adam Coldwells said: "We have five tenders who absolutely can deliver a service against the specification. They're confident they can do it.

"They believe it will be safe, it'll be deliverable. And that was obviously our intention when we set out the specification and we believe it'll be entirely doable.

"And the bids that we've received against the tender certainly believe that it's possible."