An Aberdeen pooch has emerged as one of the top dogs in a national campaign to find Scotland’s canine ambassador.
More than 200 animals from across the country have been entered into VisitScotland’s “Ambassadog” competition, which is striving to find a four-legged friend who best captures the spirit of the country.
And Bertie, a fox terrier from the Granite City, is now one of nine faithful companions left in the shortlist for the coveted title.
If the six-year-old dog succeeds, he and his owner Dr Gail Rieke will be given an exclusive, pet-friendly holiday around Scotland to show tourists the wealth of adventure, food and drink the country has to offer.
Dr Rieke said: “He’s my favourite companion, and he’s lived here with me since he was a puppy.
“I’ve lived in Aberdeen for 19 years, and thoroughly enjoy living in this part of Scotland.
“One of the things we love about Aberdeen is that it’s not too far from the hills for walking in the lovely forest areas, we’ve got the River Dee which is beautiful, and, when it’s not too windy we can go down to the beach and explore along the coastline.”
Dr Rieke first came to VisitScotland’s attention after the tourism body discovered her online blog, which shares her adventures with Bertie from all across the north-east of Scotland.
Dr Rieke said: “We’ve had a lot of comments on the blog from people about the pictures of the landscape or interesting castles.
“So I thought that doing the work of the Ambassadog would help me and Bertie connect with a wider range of people, and carry on with something we’ve been doing for some time.
Judges will announce the identity of Scotland’s Ambassadog later this month.
