Native trees planted above A82 to prevent landslips

The trees are being planted on hillsides above Loch Ness

A project to lower the risk of landslips on the A82 by planting trees on the slopes above it has begun.

The road along the shores of Loch Ness has been closed in the past due to rockfalls.

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) has started work to establish a new native woodland.

The aim is to strengthen hillsides against the impacts of wind and rain and make the A82 safer for road users.

The first stage of the project was recently completed, with 5,000 trees planted in high density pockets on sections of cleared slopes near Drumnadrochit.

Conifers, some of them 100 years old, are being felled as part of the project because they are at risk of being blown over, or collapsing due to erosion.

A mixture of blackthorn, hawthorn, hazel, birch, cherry and oak are being planted in their place.

FLS north region assistant operations manager, Luke Wilson, said: "It will make the landscape – including the A82 and the infrastructure that runs alongside it – more resilient to extreme weather events that we may be seeing more of in the years to come."