Work has begun to return 126 medieval carved stones to Elgin Cathedral.

The carved faces, plants and animals are being hoisted up into the cathedral towers to form part of a major new exhibition due to open at Easter.

After spending much of 2015 at a conservation centre in Edinburgh being cleaned by expert conservators and studied by researchers, the Elgin stones will be part of an immersive exhibition telling the story of the cathedral and the people who built and used it.

Fiona Fleming, interpretation manager at Historic Environment Scotland, said: "The carved stones lay buried amidst the ruins until the 1800s, when Elgin shoemaker John Shanks became the first keeper and watchman of the cathedral.

"He began to clear away some of the rubble uncovering wonderful, crisp carvings that had been buried for centuries.

"By studying the stones we have been able to understand more about the cathedral's construction and development, its builders and benefactors, and what it might have meant to those who walked through its doors."

The exhibition will be the first time in 20 years that visitors will be able to get up close to the stones, which date back as far as the 13th century.

Lorna Ewan, head of visitor experience at Historic Environment Scotland, said: "This is shaping up to be a fascinating exhibition, one which will bring the story of Elgin Cathedral to life for visitors.

"We’ve worked with academic experts to decode the messages within the carvings, and in partnership with Napier University on a wonderful lighting display to create a truly innovative exhibition for Scotland’s year of innovation, architecture and design."