'Dip' in Highlands and Islands Airports' passenger numbers

Flight cancellations have been blamed for playing a part in the fall in numbers

Scottish regional airports operator Highlands and Islands Airports Limited has reported a fall in numbers of passengers using its sites in November.

There were 99,039 passengers, a decline of 2.6% on the same month last year.

Hial, which operates 11 airports across Scotland, described it as a "dip" in a year that had seen a trend of "strong growth".

Dundee and Western Isles airports saw falls in numbers, but figures had remained high at Sumburgh and Kirkwall.

Flight cancellations, reduced frequency on certain routes and a decline in business and energy-related traffic had resulted in the drop in numbers at the other sites.