Two Scottish wildcat kittens have been born at a wildlife centre near Beauly.

The youngsters are the latest members of the Conservation Breeding Programme, which has been running since 2011.

The two female kittens are now a few weeks old and are already competent climbers with bags of ferocity.

The wildcat in Scotland is now considered functionally extinct in the wild, as there are too few spread over a large area.

It means that breeding programmes like this one are vital to ensure their conservation.

It's hoped in the future that wildcats bred at the Aigas Centre will go back into the wild and thrive.

This is the first litter for their mother Glynis, who was quite a relaxed female up to the point she became a mother.

However, since giving birth she has become very protective of both kittens and guards the entrance to their enclosure.

The kittens are now becoming much bolder and can collect their own food, meaning Glynis is back to her relaxed self.

There are several conservation projects on the go at Aigas, but they say the Wildcat Breeding Programme is by far the most critical.

A spokesperson said: "We are delighted to see all the hard work put in by all our team of rangers rewarded with two new little faces."