Almost 1,000 homes have been left without power for several hours in Moray after a bird flew into electricity equipment and sparked a fire.
It is understood that the animal soared into a transformer in a field between Hopeman and Cummingston shortly before 5pm and caused a fire to rage through gorse at the foot of a pylon.
The outage affected about 880 homes though it is understood that properties in Duffus were reconnected within an hour while families in Hopeman, Burghead and the surrounding area are enduring a longer wait.
A spokeswoman for the fire service confirmed that crews from Elgin and Forres were called to the scene about 4.50pm.
She added that they were still there “dampening down” the affected patch at 8pm, though the blaze was put out by 6.30pm.
Homes without electricity due to power cuts across north of Scotland
The spokeswoman said: “There was an area of gorse that was on fire underneath the pylon.”
SSE later advised customers that engineers were working at the site and aimed to have power restored by 10pm.
A spokesman said: “A fault to the high voltage network has been discovered and engineers have been working on site since 5pm to get the power back on as quickly as they can.”
Pictures posted on social media by local man Steve Truluck showed flames ripping through the undergrowth and sending plumes of smoke billowing across the coastal communities.
