Police Scotland plans to deploy drones for the first time following trials in England.

The force intends to spend £100,000 on two unmanned aerial vehicles, which it will use to search for missing people and monitor crowds.

They will mainly be deployed in Aberdeen and Inverness to support the Police Scotland helicopter, which is based in Glasgow.

Assistant chief constable Bernard Higgins said: "They will initially be deployed to the north of Scotland to provide additional support to communities located in some of the most rural parts of the country.

"Further information will be made public before these systems are put into operational use.

"These UAS will provide additional resources in the event the force helicopter is unable to travel due to inclement conditions."

Devon and Cornwall Police became the first UK force to trial the use of drones in 2015 and have since deployed them at crime scenes and fatal collisions.

Earlier this week, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service tracked down a pensioner suffering from hypothermia using a UAV, despite 40mph winds.

A drone was also used by Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team during the search for a couple killed by an avalanche on Ben Nevis last year.