A man has been found dead in the burned out shell of his home in the northern isles after an overnight blaze.
The grim discovery was made hours after firefighters used sea water to help them douse the flames at the small croft on Shetland.
Neighbours raised the alarm and the property at remote Clousta in the west mainland was “well alight” by the time crews arrived.
Eighteen firefighters from Bixter, Walls and Scalloway went to the scene and it took them about four hours to bring the blaze under control.
Some of them used breathing apparatus and water was pumped from the sea to help feed three hose reel jets.
The dead man will not be named until his next-of-kin have been informed.
The croft – called Skeotaing – was extensively damaged in the fire.
The roof had almost completely collapsed and much of the single storey home, which sits near the shore, was left blackened by the blaze.
The fire was reported around 4.15am this morning and was put out by 8.20am.
Crews remained at the scene for several hours damping down but were unable to go inside the building until the afternoon.
A joint police and fire service investigation will be carried out to try to pinpoint the cause of the blaze, including a full examination of the house and its contents.
A police spokesman said: “At around 4.15am on Monday, April 27, police in Lerwick received a report of a house fire at a property in Clousta, by Bixter, Shetland.
“Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will be conducting a joint investigation which will involve a full examination of the property and its contents.
“At this time, one person has been found deceased within the property.
“No further details will be made available until next of kin have been spoken to.”
The scattered community of Clousta is home to about 70 people and sits just over 21 miles west of the Shetland capital Lerwick.
The blaze was the latest in a string of serious house fires at properties across the north.
A 68-year-old woman died in a blaze at her home in Lochend, Inverness-shire in January.
A 93-year-old woman lost her life in a fire at her home at Inverauld House at Rosehall in February.
And two days later a 38-year-old man was found dead at his home in Strathspey Avenue, in Aviemore.
A couple also lost their home and all of their possessions after a fire at their crofthouse near Ardgay earlier this month, although no one was injured as the occupants were away from home at the time.