A TINY snail just the size of a grain has been discovered on the Black Isle, the peninsula just north of Inverness.
It is the snail's only known home in Britain and is a long way from its normal habitats in northern and central Europe.
The creature, which goes by the name of Pupilla pratensis, was discovered at Braelangwell Wood - a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) near Udale Bay on the Cromarty Firth.
The site already boasts nationally important woodland, springs, flies and snails.
The snail, which measures just 4mm long by 1.5mm wide, has only been recorded in one other place in Britain - on a farm also on the Black Isle.
It is more typically found in Scandinavia and Poland.
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) monitors Braelangwell Wood and other protected areas to ensure they are in good condition.
The discovery was made by specialist Ian Killeen, who surveyed the two snail species for which the site was already designated as part of this monitoring programme.
Mr Killeen said: "I was very pleased with what I found.
"Not only was the habitat for the snails in excellent condition, but there were also very high densities of the two main species for which the site is designated - Geyer's whorl snail and the round-mouthed whorl snail - at up to 384 per square metre in the central part of the site. Then we had the added bonus of this new record."
"We are always happy to be bearers of good news about protected sites such as this," said Nicola Tallach, SNH area officer for the Inner Moray Firth.
"It is also worth remembering that these tiny creatures are just as important as the larger and more obvious animals for which the Highlands are famous."
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