A herd of 35 missing cattle have been returned home after running loose for five days.

The cows broke out of their enclosure in the Forest of Birse area of Aberdeenshire last Thursday.

They were found ten miles away near Glen Esk on Tuesday evening and guided home by gamekeepers.

Owner Lynne Gordon said: "We are so relieved to have the herd back. They've covered quite a distance. It has been a nightmare and a lot of worry.

"I think they must have been spooked by something, perhaps a dog, and broke through the fence on Thursday.

"Without the gamekeepers from Ballogie and Finzean Estates, I doubt if we would have managed to get them back.

"A lot of the area is inaccessible and we would have really struggled to find them. The gamekeepers kept in touch and managed to keep a lookout on their quad bikes."

The majority of the cows appear to have been unharmed by their misadventure.