Two boats were destroyed and several more badly damaged in a blaze at a Highland harbour.
Police believe the early-morning fire at Nairn was started deliberately and a teenage girl is expected to appear in court in connection with the incident today.
Two vessels – a Bayliner powerboat and cabin cruiser – were wrecked, although no one was injured in the blaze, which started around 2.15am yesterday.
Boat owners were unable to check their vessels yesterday afternoon, as the harbour was cordoned-off with police tape.
Detectives carried out door-to-door inquiries, while a police photographer took pictures of the blackened remains of the boats.
The fire is thought to have started in the 20ft Bayliner, owned by Brian MacDonald, of Redwood Crescent, Inverness, before spreading to other boats moored nearby.
The owner of the cabin cruiser, which was also destroyed, was named locally as Scott MacLennan, an RAF serviceman based at Kinloss.
Mr MacDonald was not available for comment yesterday and Mr MacLennan is understood to be abroad.
Irene MacTavish, whose Harbour Street home overlooks the bay at Nairn, dialled 999 after seeing the flames from her bedroom window.
“I looked out and a boat had a ball of fire at its centre and the fire was spreading to other boats,” she said.
“It was quite a blaze and the smell of smoke was stinking.”
Bob Grantham, 58, who lives on the same road, said the boats were “well alight” when he was wakened by the noise outside.
He said: “I had the two front windows open during the night and had to shut them because of the smoke.”
Two other small fishing boats moored in the harbour were also damaged by the flames.
Jim Clark, whose vessel Black Pig had heat damage to her fibreglass hull, said he feared the boat may be beyond repair.
The 54-year-old, of Lodgehill Park, Nairn, who owns Clark’s of Nairn furniture shop, was contacted by police at around 7.30am.
He said: “I’m not happy because I have had the boat for 25 years and I spent a lot of time getting it to the condition I want it.” He added, “I will just have to wait to see if it is repairable or a write-off. Heat has penetrated the fibreglass exterior, so if water gets in, it may not be repairable.”
Another vessel had damage to one of her side windows.
A spokeswoman for Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service said that 10 firefighters, some wearing breathing apparatus, had the blaze under control by 3am.
A 17-year-old is expected to appear at Inverness Sheriff Court today.