A female cyclist and a promising footballer died and six other people were injured in a weekend of carnage on north roads.
Police were last night still investigating a trio of serious accidents – which happened in the space of just a few hours – and had yet to name either of those killed.
And an island community was in mourning for a young footballer who was one of five people in a car which ploughed through a fence at Daliburgh on South Uist.
The 19-year-old – named locally as apprentice electronic engineer Carl Macphee – was initially taken to Uist and Benbecula Hospital in Balivanich.
It is understood medics discovered he had internal injuries and punctured lungs and an air ambulance was called to take him to a mainland .
But he died around 1am yesterday before the transfer could take place.
It is understood all five people in the crash were teammates with Iochdar Saints FC, who play in the Uist and Barra amateur league, and had been returning home from a match in Eriskay.
Police closed the road, which is the main route through Uist, for much of yesterday to allow traffic investigators from Dingwall to travel to the island and examine the scene.
The other four men got out of the mangled car with relatively minor injures.
An ambulance service spokeswoman confirmed the driver suffered a head wound.
The accident happened around 9pm on Saturday.
Meanwhile, a woman cyclist was killed when her bike and an articulated truck collided at Bettyhill in Sutherland.
The accident happened at 3.15pm on Saturday on the A836 between the village and Thurso.
Police were last night in the process of informing her next of kin.
A spokesman said: “A collision took place between an articulated lorry and a bicycle. As a result of the collision, the female rider of the bicycle sustained fatal injuries.
“No further details will be released until all next of kin are informed.”
And a man in his early 20s was taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness after a one-vehicle smash on the A95.
He had to be cut free from a black Ford Fiesta which left the road between Dulnain Bridge and Grantown around 10pm on Saturday.
Two fire brigade crews, from Grantown and Aviemore, removed the roof of the car using hydraulic cutting equipment.
It is understood the man was later airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, although his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
The other occupant of the car, which had been travelling north, was also taken to Raigmore Hospital.
Police closed the road for almost 13 hours, to allow accident investigators to work at the scene in daylight.
Cars and motorcycles leaving the A9, and heading for a show called Motor Mania in Grantown, were given details of an alternative route by an officer on patrol at the scene.
A recovery vehicle removed the damaged car around 10.30am yesterday and the road reopened at 11am.
Police have urged witness to any of the accidents to contact them on 101.