Fife town centres have been given a festive boost by the Forth Road Bridge closure.
Traders in Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy have reported an increase in business as shoppers decide not to make the journey to Edinburgh or Livingston.
Neil Mackie, who manages the Kingsgate Centre in Dunfermline, said: “Obviously we can’t take our eye off the fact there is major disruption throughout the whole of east central Scotland.
“But in terms of trade, at this time of year, it has kept a lot of trade local.
“We have seen a significant increase in footfall, which is what you would expect at this time.
“However, the increase has been greater than what we would expect.”
Mr Mackie said he expected shoppers to start gravitating back across the Forth once the road bridge reopens, which is expected to happen on January 4.
The 51-year-old suspension bridge was closed to all traffic on December 3 after engineers spotted a crack in a steel truss close to the north tower.
Engineers are working on the necessary repairs and MSPs have called for an inquiry.
Bill Fletcher, Dunfermline Delivers chairman and owner of the Alhambra Theatre, said: “I believe the town has certainly had an increase in footfall.
“Whether this has led to an increase in sales from shoppers, I’m not privy to that information.
“It’s created an opportunity for the town centre shops to show that Dunfermline can do Christmas without people going over the bridge.”
Mr Fletcher said the Alhambra had enjoyed an overall increase in numbers, but added that the theatre had lost a number of bookings from schools in Edinburgh and Lothian as a result of the bridge closure.
Lorraine Gardiner, co-owner of Love Restored in Kirkcaldy High Street, said: “On the Saturday following the closure it was very busy in the shop.
“We had two or three people come into the shop and say they had decided to stay in Kirkcaldy to shop instead of going to Edinburgh.
“It does make people think about their High Street.”
Kirkcaldy 4 All manager Bill Harvey said local pubs had benefited, with night time revellers discouraged from travelling to Edinburgh.
He added: “Kirkcaldy has an incredible retail offering and we have been working hard over many months to get that message out there.
“The bridge closure has simply sharpened the focus, and is making those in and around Kirkcaldy think again about the need to head to the capital for their seasonal shopping.
“We are hoping for a positive spike in business throughout the bridge closure.”