A historic Moray village will become the highest place in Scotland to be connected to high-speed fibre broadband.
Tomintoul, sitting at 1,132 feet, is among 43 locations that will benefit from the £410 million Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband Partnership.
Brodie and Spey Bay will also be part of the scheme, which will bring the technology to tens of thousands of people across the north.
The first connections are expected to go live this summer and about 95% of premises in Scotland are expected to have access to fibre broadband in the next three years.
The initiative consists of two projects – one covering the Highlands and Islands and the other covering the rest of Scotland. The Cairngorm area is part of the former programme, led by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
Stuart Robertson, Director of Digital Highlands and Islands at HIE, said: “Bringing the project to Tomintoul is literally a high point in the project. Work has already started in the village and it’s great to see fibre based broadband heading here.”
BT Scotland director Brendan Dick said: “Tomintoul, in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, is exactly the kind of place that stands to gain most from modern technology.
“Tourism, agriculture and other rural business sectors are vital to the local economy, and I’m certain the arrival of fibre broadband will be completely transformational.”
Angus Robertson MP said the project was a massive undertaking, combining investment from BT, the Scottish Government and other public bodies.
“Superfast broadband is critical in growing and maintaining the competitiveness of areas like Moray to ensure that our businesses can compete and residents can access modern digital services,” he said.
Richard Lochhead MSP said the SNP government at Holyrood had put in additional funding to extend the reach of the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband project.
Fochabers Lhanbryde councillor and Conservative candidate for Moray at the General Election Douglas Ross said: “Internet speeds in parts of Moray have been an issue for some time, so I hope this announcement will see a real improvement for people who work from home and those who simply need to browse the internet.
“It’s encouraging to see more communities in Moray benefiting from this investment at a UK level and through partnership working with the Scottish Government and others.”