Westhill is home to around 12,000 people just outside of Aberdeen.

However, just 50 years ago, this sprawling suburb looked very different.

In 1963, Aberdeen solicitor Ronald Dean wanted to transform a hillside farming estate with less than 100 residents into a modern satellite town - the first of its kind in Scotland.

John Milne grew up on the original farm at Wester Kinmundy.

His house still exists but the fields he once ploughed as a young boy are now residential streets.

He said: "You didn't miss the amenities because they weren't there.

"We have fantastic amenities now, especially with the new shopping centre.

"A lot of things, even clothes, were bought from the back of a van.

"I was about 23 or 24 years old when they first talked about expanding Westhill.

"It started with a few houses and it was a gradual process."

He added: "You then got incomers coming and they integrated well."

"I didn't realise Westhill would get so big. It has grown outwith the Westhill estate.

"It's expanding and expanding."

Originally described as "the garden suburb", the creation of Westhill coincided with the discovery of North Sea oil and the influx of people to Aberdeen.

Development was rapid and by the end of the 1970s, it had amenities including a shopping centre, swimming pool and hotel.

The first houses of the "new Westhill" were built in 1968.

Margaret Smith, 74, was one of the first people to move into the area.

She said: "We moved here on April 5, 1969. We were newly married and were the second house to be occupied in the new development of Westhill.

"It was a building site we were living on at the time.

"There wasn't much in the way of transport so you had to have a car but it was lovely to see the place developed and established."

She added: "Most people were young couples with no families but gradually young families appeared and it was lovely to see the children.

"It was a very friendly place as it developed.

"We thought developers only had a dream when they said they were developing Westhill but it has been great because as it developed, all the facilities grew with it."

Fifty years on and Westhill has even produced an Olympic Gold medalist. Tim Baillie who won the men's slalom canoeing at London 2012.

As part of the half century celebrations, the community council have commissioned an artist to design a permanent tribute to mark the milestone.