IT weighs in at 70kg, or around 11 stone, and is longer than a man is tall.

This rare halibut was line-caught in the deep, cold, waters of the North Sea near Shetland, landed at Scrabster and delivered direct to Crabshakk, a fish restaurant in Glasgow's west end. Head chef David Scott and his team are busy filleting the massive specimen in preparation for its star appearance on the menu in the form of pan-fried fillets, scampi, curry, ceviche and a range of other specialities. "I don't think any of us will ever see a bigger wild halibut than this," remarked Crabshakk proprietor John Macleod, who paid £950 for the fish and expects to earn three times that amount when it is served in the restuarant over this weekend. A spokesman for supplier John Vallance confirmed that finding a 70kg halibut is "extremely rare, and certainly not as common as the usual 20-30kg."

Picture: Colin Mearns