DRONE technology is being used by mountain rescue teams in the Highlands to help trace two missing climbers.

Lochaber Mountain Rescue said a drone had been deployed in a "potential location" for Eric Cyle and Tom Brown in Glen Nevis.

Kilmarnock-born Eric Cyl, 62, was last seen heading off into the Mamore mountain range near Fort William at the end of May 2015.

Tom Brown, 65, from Lanarkshire, was last seen leaving his Lanarkshire home on 1 July the same year.

The team used special software to stitch together images to create a 3D image which allows them to visually check the areas covered by the drone at the base.

The rescue team, which so far has two of its members trained to pilot the drone, also used the technology last week to help in the rescue of climbers in difficulty on a route called Long Climb.

However, the cloud level was too low to make full use of the drone.

John Stevenson, of Lochaber MRT said: "We expect these will become standard procedure from now on where conditions allow.

"We have put two people through operators course and will be putting more through in coming months."