HOPES are fading for a wildlife photographer who is feared to have slipped into a freezing dam while looking for otters to picture.
Despite a major air and ground search for Gordon Dawson, who worked for his own firm taking pictures of creatures in the wild, ranging from otters to dolphins, there has been no trace.
Police said the missing 61-year-old, who ran Alba Images, was last seen at his home close to Aigas, near Beauly in Inverness-shire, last week. Photography equipment thought to belong to him has been found at Aigas Dam.
It is thought Mr Dawson was photographing otters near the River Beauly when he disappeared.
He states on his website that he moved back to the Highlands in 2008. It was then he "discovered a whole new world when I visited Chanory Point on the Black Isle and saw for the first time the magnificent bottlenose dolphins of the Moray Firth. The rest is history."
Police and members of Dundonnell Mountain Rescue Team made extensive searches of the area on Monday. Search dogs and their handlers were also involved and are part of the renewed search effort The search was due to be restarted this morning.
Mr Dawson is described as 5ft 10in, of medium build, with a shaved head.
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