Inverness

Authorities have detected blue-green algae in Loch Moy, south of Inverness, and are urging the public and pet owners to avoid contact with the water. Warning signs are being posted as agencies investigate potential health risks.

Storm Amy brought down power lines around Loch Ness, cutting electricity to more than 200 homes in Foyers and Invermoriston and prompting transport disruption, including flight cancellations from Inverness Airport. Amber wind warnings up to 100 mph were in place.

Up to 10 basking sharks were filmed close to shore off Nairn in the Moray Firth, offering rare, close-up views to tour passengers and beachgoers. The late-summer sightings featured large sharks circling near idle boats in calm water.

Network Rail Scotland warns that some of the 10,000 lightning strikes across the north of Scotland on 14 August damaged signalling on the Highland Main Line between Inverness and Perth, causing delays of up to 35 minutes.

Heavy rain and flooding have forced the closure of the line between Achnasheen and Achanalt, cancelling the Inverness–Kyle of Lochalsh service and causing up to 30-minute delays on routes to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

Five appliances from Nairn, Grantown-on-Spey and Forres battled a moorland wildfire near Glenferness from around 4 pm until after 10:41 pm on June 12, fully extinguishing the blaze.

A humpback whale was sighted in the Beauly Firth near Inverness, passing under the Kessock Bridge and swimming close to Castle Stewart golf course before heading back out to sea. Whales this size in this area is quite a rare occurrence, adding that in case of such sightings, best practice would be to report them to British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR).

Heavy snowfall has led to the closure of over 100 schools and nurseries in the Highlands, affecting more than 16,000 pupils.

Much of the Highlands was cooler and greyer than normal in July, but not particularly wet, the Met Office has said.

The spectacle of "hundreds" of dying or dead bees along the River Ness earlier this week led to a discussion on social media.

The Highlands have recorded their hottest day of the year so far – outstripping holiday hot spots in the Mediterranean, Adriatic and Aegean!

The dolphins were part of a group of more than 50 that got into difficulty in the Cromarty Firth.

Andy Meldrum, of Glencoe Mountain, said his business is working towards a date when they can welcome back skiers and snowboarders. Despite the most magnificent conditions in 11 years, the slopes remain closed because of lockdown.

The pancakes form when foam floating on a river or the sea freeze. These frozen chunks are then shaped by being rubbed against one another in eddies of water.

Pink salmon are native to the Pacific Ocean. From stocking programs in Russia in the 1960s they have spread to Northern Europe, and in 2017 male and female pink salmon were spotted in the River Ness in the Highlands of Scotland. And now, two years later, camera images suggest that their spawn has returned.

The fire came at a time of heightened risk of wildfires in parts of Scotland due to dry weather and large areas of dead vegetation. Other incidents included fires on Ben Lomond in the Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, on Gruinard Island in Wester Ross and near Dornoch.

'Unprecedented numbers' of pink salmon were seen in 2017 and the fish have been spotted again this year.

Storm damage has left multiple trees blocking paths in Cullaird Wood on the outskirts of Inverness, obstructing a key section of the South Loch Ness Trail. Highland Council says it is seeking an arrangement with the landowner’s agents to clear the routes after recent storms Floris and Amy.

Residents in Inverness’s Ness Castle estate found asbestos fragments—some partially buried—and are being billed for removal, prompting anger at the developer and factor. Robertson Homes says the site was clean at handover; the factor Ross + Liddell is charging nearly 100 households for testing and cleanup.