A couple who went missing overnight in the Cairngorms after taking their dog for a walk have been found alive.

The man and woman, aged 59 and 56, were reported missing on New Year's Day when they failed to return from a walk with their black collie dog.

They and their pet had to spend the night in a bivvy bag in the mountains after bad weather closed in on them.

The couple are thought to be from England and were staying in the Glenmore area.

Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team (CMRT) searched for them overnight amid snow and freezing temperatures but were unable to trace them.

An RAF mountain rescue team and a coastguard helicopter joined the search on Monday until the couple and their dog were spotted in the mountains at around midday by a member of the public.

They were then escorted off the hills by CMRT volunteers to a track vehicle which took them to the funicular railway.

Willie Anderson, team leader of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team, said: "They spent the night on the plateau on open ground.

"They were in pretty poor nick but it could have been a lot worse. It wouldn't have been good if they had been out there much longer."

Mr Anderson added: "They misjudged how long their walk would take them yesterday and then the cloud closed in and it started snowing.

"They were a bit disorientated but at least they had a bivvy bag to shelter them. That probably saved their lives."