Sheepdog missing for 12 days is rescued from gorge near Fort William

A sheepdog that went missing 12 days ago has been rescued from a gorge.

Nell the collie was spotted stuck down Monessie Gorge, at Roybridge near Fort William, by a person on a train that was passing on the nearby West Highland Line.

Members of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team used ropes to get down into the gorge on Thursday evening and rescued the cold and hungry dog.

Team leader John Stevenson said: "The dog belongs to a local crofter."

He added: "It is an older dog and retired from working and it had been missing for 12 days.

"The gorge cannot be seen from the side of the road, but the driver or a passenger on a train passing on the nearby line saw the dog.

"We were having a committee meeting at the time. We left that and headed for the gorge.

"It is not deep, but you can only get down into it using ropes.

"But it was a nice quick job. It was over in an hour, and provided a little bit of training for the team."

He added: "The collie was a bit timid and took a bit of coaxing to come out from where it was.

"I think it was glad to see us and the crofter was glad to have his dog back."