British Airways is set to fly passengers between Inverness and Heathrow for the first time in nearly 20 years.

BA ended its service between the Highland capital and Heathrow in 1997 and BMI followed in 2008.

Until now, budget airline EasyJet provided the only direct link to London from Inverness via Gatwick.

The first BA flight from London in two decades arrived at Inverness Airport on Tuesday morning.

BA sales manager Keith Chuter said: "We are delighted to be back in the heart of the highlands, helping boost the area's economy by bringing tourists from all over the world to this beautiful city and its environs.

"Only a matter of weeks from today, we will be carrying golf fans to Inverness to watch some of the world's best players as they compete for the Scottish Open Golf championship at Castle Stuart Golf Links.

"I know that the business community and the people in the region are delighted that British Airways has returned to Inverness, and so are we."

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