Basking sharks have returned to Scottish waters as part of their annual migration.

The Hebrides was thought to have had the largest gathering of the animals in the world last year, with more than 700 sightings.

At lengths of up to 40ft, they are the biggest fish in British waters and the second largest in the world.

This year's migration comes later than expected, partly because the plankton the sharks feed on bloomed later than usual.

A spokesman for Basking Shark Scotland said: "We've had a number of basking shark reports around the Hebridean isles in the last week.

"Combined with our own sightings this suggests the main migrational arrival for basking sharks in 2016.

"Although it is quite early to tell, this is following a similar pattern as in 2013, which resulted in a strong season."