A GIANT boulder which forced the closure of a main road is set to be blown up this morning.

The 150 tonne rock was left 175m above the carriageway on the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful, following a landslip during Storm Frank.

Roads operator Bear Scotland was forced to shut the thoroughfare last Wednesday after 200-300 tonnes of debris fell onto the carriageway.

Engineers will use explosives on the boulder this morning, breaking it up into smaller fragments so it can be removed more easily.

A spokeswoman said: "The process involves drilling a series of holes to weaken the boulder.

"A small explosive device is then detonated to break the rock into smaller manageable pieces.

"Netting will be placed over the boulder to reduce the scatter of debris and any larger pieces will then be further broken down and stabilised on the hillside."