Five areas of Scotland at highest water scarcity alert

The River Nith at Dumfries in a picture taken earlier this month by Shaun Kelly

Five areas of Scotland are now under the highest level warning for water shortages.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency said the rivers Annan and Nith, the Black Isle and Western Isles had a "significant" water scarcity situation.

The Highlands' Loch Maree area has been at that level for four weeks.

A small number of farmers on the Black Isle, north of Inverness, have been asked to reduce the volume of water they take from a burn.

The situation follows a drier than normal winter and spring, and what the Met Office has forecast to be Scotland's hottest June on record.

• Working at one of the hottest spots in Scotland

• Warning Scotland faces threat of water shortages

The Esk area in Dumfries and Galloway had been placed at significant, but has been downgraded to "moderate" after the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said there had been an improvement in water levels.

The rivers Annan and Nith are also in south-west Scotland.

Avoid suspensions

Sepa has been issuing weekly warnings about the risk of water shortages during June.

Head of water and planning, Nathan Critchlow-Watton, said the water environment in parts of Scotland was under stress.

He said: "We recognise the challenges businesses face as a result of these conditions, and we want to support those who are efficient and using the least water to continue operating.

"We will be avoiding full suspensions on water abstractions where possible and instead requiring a significant reduction in the volume of water taken from rivers and lochs."

Sepa said there had been widespread showers across Scotland this week, with particularly heavy rainfall across central and western Scotland.

It said this had resulted in some localised improvement in conditions, including in Argyll and Bute.

But Sepa added that there had not been enough rain for large-scale recovery, and was possible six more areas could be escalated to significant Water Scarcity in early July.