Large 'ice pancake' forms on cold river in Braemar Published duration 4 January 2019

image copyright Michael Traill image caption The ice pancake was photographed on Friday

An unusual circle of ice has been photographed in Aberdeenshire amid sub-zero temperatures.

The phenomenon, known as an ice pancake, was seen at the River Dee near Braemar - where temperatures dropped to -10.5C (13F) earlier this week.

They are not thought to be a common sight in Scotland.

The Met Office said they were most frequently found in the Baltic Sea and around Antarctica, and were also seen in the US and Canada.

BBC Scotland weather forecaster and presenter Anne Lundon said: "Ice circles are slowly rotating discs of ice that look almost like frozen lily pads.

"They aren't all that common in Scotland - they are most frequently observed in colder climates.

"I suspect the temperature drop in Braemar would have had something to do with this."

image copyright Michael Traill

The area saw the lowest temperature of the winter so far on Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

Met Office spokeswoman Nicky Maxey said the size of the circle in Braemar meant it was "relatively unusual".

She added: "They form because the temperature is cold and ice crystals form. They bump into each other and form these ice pancakes."