Whale washes up near Scrabster entangled in fishing gear

The whale's body came ashore near Scrabster

A humpback whale entangled in fishing gear has washed up on the north Caithness coast.

The dead whale was spotted on Wednesday before its body came ashore close to Scrabster, near Thurso, on Thursday morning.

The Inverness-based Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme said it was preparing to investigate the animal's death.

It is the latest incident of its kind in about a month.

A minke whale was found dead in Barra earlier this month, and humpback in Fife in April. Both were tangled in rope.

The humpback was entangled in rope

The Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme is aware of the whale