Avalanche debris in northern Cairngorms dwarfs walkers

Three walkers stand at the end of the avalanche debris

Avalanche debris in the Northern Cairngorms dwarfs three walkers in an image taken by the Sportscotland Avalanche Information Service (SAIS).

Observer Kathryn Grindrod took the photograph on Wednesday.

The slide, off an area known as the Great Slab at Lochain, usually occurs in May, but may have happened late on Friday or Saturday.

Heavy rain, warm temperatures and high winds are suspected to have caused the early release of snow.

The SAIS provides avalanche forecasts for five mountain areas.

They are the Northern Cairngorms, Southern Cairngorms, Lochaber, Glencoe and Creag Meagaidh.

More than 170 avalanches have been recorded by the SAIS so far in its latest season.

Forecasting will wrap up for this winter later in April.