A Highland musician has been targeted by online trolls for recording a song urging people to back the UK.
Caroline Hendry, who is from Inverness, was bombarded with vile online messages from pro-independence campaigners after they heard the track titled Why build another wall?
It was released online by the Vote No Borders group, a non-party political campaign to celebrate the UK’s shared history, values and culture.
A spokesman for the group said Ms Hendry, who attended Culloden Academy, had decided not to carry out any more promotional work on the song, which is based on the chord sequence of Auld Lang Syne, due to online abuse.
He said the 21-year-old vocalist was so appalled by some of the things said about her she was reluctant to be photographed for fear the abuse would intensify.
The spokesman said Ms Hendry and fellow singer Molly Maher, who recorded the song along with guitarist James Paul, felt it was “best for her to stay out of the limelight for a while”.
The spokesman said Ms Hendry, who now lives in Manchester, was refusing to give interviews but confirmed the song, which focuses on the impact of separation created by artificial borders, was not being withdrawn.
Mr Paul of Edinburgh said Ms Hendry, who attended the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, withdrew from promoting the track because of abuse “directed” at her.
“We were filmed recording the song and got a bit of abuse with people saying we were not real folk musicians which was quite hurtful,” he added.
Highland Labour MSP Dave Stewart said he saddened to hear the news.
“This debate should be conducted in an open and democratic way and there should be no place for underhand, scurrilous abuse,” he added.
Dave Thompson SNP MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, also condemned the treatment of Ms Hendry.
“Nobody should expect to be abused for giving their opinion on the referendum,” he said.
“It is a shame that a tiny minority on both sides of the debate have resorted to abuse to try and win the argument.”