A canoeist had to be rescued by lifeboat volunteers after getting into trouble at the mouth of the River Ness.
The alarm was raised at 5.26pm on Sunday when the lone paddler was seen by a passing vessel who contacted the UK Coastguard.
The canoeist was struggling against the tide and was becoming exhausted, although weather conditions were good at the time.
RNLI Kessock Lifeboat volunteers launched the Atlantic 85 lifeboat, Robert and Isobel Mowat, to make the short journey from North Kessock.
Led by volunteer Helmsman Stan MacRae, the lifeboat crew quickly established that apart from fatigue the man was in good health and wearing a lifejacket.
He was taken aboard and the Canadian canoe was under tow, with both taken to the slipway at South Kessock where they were met by the Inverness Coastguard team.
Meanwhile, it was announced yesterday that a Highland lifeboat coxswain who helped save the lives of four fishermen is to receive one of the RNLI’s highest accolades.
Coxswain David MacAskill, 47, is to be decorated with the RNLI Bronze Medal for Gallantry after leading the crew of the Lochinver lifeboat when they set out in high seas, lightning and hail to the fishermen on board the stricken trawler Norholm.
The vessel had lost all power and was being pushed by gale-force winds towards Cape Wrath.
Battling against the storm to attach a tow line, they managed to pull the ship and crew clear of danger – only for the tow line to break twice as the weather worsened.
Each time the tow was reattached, once with the help of colleagues from Thurso lifeboat who then took over to allow the Lochinver crew to return to station nearly 12 hours after they first launched at 8.39pm on December 7, 2014.
Coxswain MacAskill said the rescue was the hardest in his 26 years on the crew.
“I never expected to receive a medal, I didn’t join the RNLI to go for medals, but what this medal means is that it is an honour for the station and the crew as a whole to receive something like this,” he said.
The rest of the crew, including Mr MacAskill’s son, Lachlan, 20, and nephew, Joe MacKay, 24, Stuart Gudgeon, 35, Robert Kinnaird, 40, James MacAskill, 40 and John K Templeton, 42, will receive the Thanks of the Institution for the rescue.
