A motorcyclist was killed in a horror crash with a bus on a notorious Highland road yesterday.
The male biker, who has not been named, died on the A82 between Spean Bridge and Invergarry.
Passengers were on board the Scottish Citylink service from Inverness to Fort William when the motorcycle went into a slide and hit the vehicle.
He died at the scene and his bike landed some distance from the bus.
The accident happened around 1pm between Spean Bridge and Invergarry at Laggan Locks.
Police were quickly on the scene and the road was closed to traffic in both directions.
Two men travelling to Ayrshire were in the car immediately behind the bus.
The driver, who did not wish to be named, said: “It all happened so quickly, but the motorcycle went into a skid and the machine seemed to bounce off the bus. The bike itself travelled some distance away. It was terrible.
“The passengers on the bus must have seen it all as well. It must have been awful for them too.
“It has been raining on and off, so the road might have been a bit slippy at the time, but who knows what caused it to happen.”
A holidaymaker staying at a caravan in Invergarry said a car had come off the road at almost the same spot a few hours before.
“I was going into Fort William earlier when I saw a car had come off the road just about the same place. You could see the tyre marks where it had skidded. I couldn’t believe it when I was coming back and heard about the accident. I thought at first it had something to do with the car. Then when I saw the bus at the side of the road and heard what had happened, I couldn’t believe it. It is just terrible.”
Another bus arrived to take the passengers away once they had been interviewed by police.
A spokeswoman for Scottish Citylink said: “One of our vehicles operating from Inverness to Fort William was involved in an incident in which a motorcyclist suffered fatal injuries on the A82 between Invergarry and Spean Bridge at around 1pm yesterday.
“Our first thoughts and deepest condolences are with the family of the person involved. We are assisting police with their inquiries into the circumstances of the incident.”
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Officers attended a serious road traffic collision involving a bus and motorcyclist on the A82 at Laggan Locks.
“Tragically, the male motorcyclist died and his next of kin have been informed.
“Neither the bus driver or passengers suffered any significant injuries.
“Inquiries into the full circumstances surrounding this incident are ongoing and anyone who can assist with our investigation is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101.”
The A82 remained closed between Spean Bridge and Invergarry into the evening while crash investigators carried out a thorough examination of the scene. Northbound traffic was diverted at Spean Bridge.
