Record year for marine animal strandings in Scotland Published duration 10 January 2019

image copyright WDC image caption The figures include dozens of beaked whales that were found dead on the west coast

The organisation that investigates the deaths of whales and dolphins on Scotland's coast said 2018 was a record year for strandings.

The Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme (Smass), which has been in operation since 1992, said more than 930 cases were reported.

Inverness-based Smass said the increase was likely down to an "improved effort" to alert it to dead or beached animals.

The strandings included almost 100 beaked whales in August and September.

Most of the whales, mainly deep-diving Cuvier's beaked whales , washed up in Scotland, including in North Uist and Harris and parts of Argyll.

At the time some experts speculated that increased naval sonar activity may have been to blame.

Smass said it had seen a year-on-year increase in all animal strandings for almost 10 years.

It said this was largely due to better public awareness and reporting, rather than a problem with the world's oceans.