Stranded dolphins saved after being refloated from beach near Durness

A pod of dolphins has been successfully refloated after getting into difficulty in shallow waters then becoming stranded on a Highlands beach.

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The alarm was raised late in the evening last night after a member of the public noticed the four dolphins in difficulty and alerted the authorities.

The coastguard said that experts from British Divers Marine Life Rescue were called to Balnakeil Beach near Durness in Sutherland at around 10.45pm on Monday night.

Dolphins are a common sight around Scotland's coastal areas.

At that point the creatures were around 20 metres from the water, prompting fears for the safety of the mammals.

Durness Coastguard Rescue Team were also deployed to the Highland beach, but they remained on stand by in case help was needed as members of the public were already at the scene.

The four dolphins were then successfully refloated on the tide at around 3.30am on Tuesday morning, allowing them to continue safely on their way.

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