A remote community in the Highlands is giving its young people a cask of whisky for their 18th birthday to help drive the economy.

The Ardnamurchan Trust charity will buy a cask of the popular Scottish tipple from the Ardnamurchan distillery for every resident aged between 10 and 17.

On their 18th birthday, teens will have the option of selling the cask back to the distillery, with the profits being used to finance their tertiary education, future training, and careers.

It is also hoped that the incentive will encourage families to remain in the area.

Alex Bruce, managing director of Adelphi, which owns the distillery, said: "It will benefit young people in the Ardnamurchan area, who will directly profit from the sale of their local whisky.

"We'll also be offering additional support by forging further links with the community and local businesses, as well as offering work experience and training throughout all aspects of the business.

"In addition to supporting the next generation from an early age, it also gives us security of an established long-term employment pool in the area."

The trust hopes the move will encourage diversification, promote collaboration between businesses and address the issue of rural depopulation.

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said: "Scotland's whisky distilleries do much to support their local communities and economies, but equally those distilleries could not exist without the skills and expertise provided by people living in those communities.

"With this unique scheme, the Ardnamurchan Trust are not only 'giving something back' to young people and their families in the local area, but also creating a potential long-term benefit for everyone."