A rare species of butterfly has been recorded in one of Scotland's most famous glens for the first time.
The Chequered Skipper butterfly is only known in the UK within a 30-mile radius of Fort William, and had never been recorded at Glencoe until last week.
Ecologist Dan Watson and volunteers Joss Ratcliffe and Callum Gilhooley decided conditions were perfect for a butterfly hunt.
Mr Wilson said: "We targeted suitable habitat in Glen Etive, starting at a fenced-off area in Dalness. This looked perfect for Chequered Skippers, having a south-east facing slope covered with scattered trees, purple moor-grass (the larval food plant) and bluebells, which the adults prefer for nectar.
"After a few false alarms caused by similarly-sized Common Heath moths, Joss caught something different in his net which turned out to be our target species. Once we'd got a better search image we started seeing them everywhere, counting at least 13 individuals, four of which were metres from the road, seen while we were eating lunch.
"We continued a bit further up the glen to a smaller fenced-off area and found another seven within a few minutes of crossing the fence. The records made will go to Butterfly Conservation, which is carrying out a survey of this butterfly."
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