New training facilities are to be provided for firefighters in the Western Isles.
Stornoway Fire Station will be renovated under the plans by Scottish Fire and Rescue Services.
And talks are also underway with Highlands and Islands Airport Ltd (Hial) about bringing a specialist training centre to Stornoway Airport.
It is hoped that firefighters based at the airport will also benefit from the equipment, which trains personnel on fire behaviour.
The proposals mean that island firefighters will not have to travel to the mainland for training, which is usually carried out at Invergordon.
The service’s local senior officer for Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland, Billy Wilson said: “We have had productive discussions with Hial in relation to the introduction of the training unit at the airport. It will represent an invaluable asset.
“At present, local firefighters must travel to Invergordon for training, but this announcement means we will now be able to deliver it in the Western Isles.”
Assistant chief officer Robert Scott, said: “The investments being made in the Western Isles will deliver tangible benefits in terms of firefighter safety.
“I would also hope that the facilities will encourage members of the community, previously put off by the requirement to regularly leave the islands for training, to reconsider joining their local unit and help protect the communities in which they live.”