Firefighters extinguished fires on Benbecula and Harris as they warn of extreme risk. SFRS said the fires had broken out in vegetation that had died off since last year and then been dried out by frost and low temperatures.

More than 50,000 juvenile fish were killed or escaped in the incident on Skye, says an industry body. The Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) said predation attacks continued to have a significant impact on fish health and welfare.

The Outer Hebrides are already suffering from the impacts of climate change including higher tides, longer storms and erosion.

Droughts in continental Europe are a possible cause for sightings of a Mediterranean bird in Britain and Ireland, say ornithologists.

The rutted stretch between Portree and north-west Skye has numerous potholes due to cold and wet weather.