A fire at Skibo Castle has been extinguished after crews battled the blaze for seven hours overnight.

Six fire engines and one aerial appliance were called to the building near Dornoch.

Two people were assisted to safety by crews following the blaze shortly after 8.15pm on Monday.

There were no casualties and firefighters were stood down at 3am on Tuesday.

A single fire engine returned to the hotel at 8.20am and left the scene at 9am after ensuring the area remained safe.

Mark Loynd, of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: "I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the swift and professional response of our firefighters.

"This was a challenging incident at a famous and very historic building, but our crews responded effectively to consign the fire to one small area.

"I would also like to thank our teams in operations control and our partners whose assistance was invaluable in helping to protect the community."

The luxury four-storey building played host to the wedding of Madonna and Guy Ritchie in 2000.

The hotel said the disruption caused by the fire was limited.

Peter Crome, chairman of Skibo Castle and The Carnegie Club, said: "We are grateful for the quick action of the emergency services and also for the exceptional response of our own staff, who assisted guests and volunteered to help in any way they could.

"Due to the fact that the fire was quickly contained, disruption has thankfully been limited and just a few rooms have suffered water damage."