More than 115,000 Scots households and businesses will soon have access to fibre broadband for the first time.

Work is also due to to begin over the next six months to add to the growing number of locations that can get the faster internet connections.

New areas receiving fibre broadband for the first time will include Symbister in Shetland; Scourie in Sutherland, Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides; many parts of Skye; parts of Arran, Port Ellen in Islay, and Glenlivet in Moray.

Engineers expect the first fibre connections to be available in many of these areas by this summer as BT Openreach continues work on the ground.

Stuart Robertson, Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s director of digital, said: "It’s great to see the fibre cabinets coming through in more and more locations across the region.

"We are seeing increasingly smaller communities drawn in and are tackling some challenging geographies to reach people.

"Most recent places to see coverage include Weisdale in Shetland, which now boasts the UK’s most northerly cabs, Helmsdale in Sutherland and the first locations in Arran and Millport."

Liz Mallinson, BT Scotland’s fibre broadband director, added: "We’re excited to be bringing fibre technology to more places in the Highlands and Islands, especially as it involves overcoming the technical challenge in the shape of EO (exchange only) lines.

"We’re also urging local people to check if they’re among the thousands who can already get high-speed services.

"There’s lots of competition in the broadband market and people may be pleasantly surprised to discover they could be surfing at much higher speeds at a similar cost to their current service.

"Once you've tried super-fast broadband, you’ll never look back."