A video has shown the moment a house in Aviemore was struck by lightning, before it was destroyed by a fire.
The fire broke out in the Grampian View area of the Highland town at around 10am yesterday morning.
A woman and her two children, who were inside the house at the time it was struck by lightning, managed to escape unharmed, while a fourth family member was not home at the time.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service sent four appliances and a height vehicle to the property.
One person who witnessed the incident was 67-year-old retired physics teacher Nick Forwood who was standing at the entrance to his own home on the street when lightning stuck the neighbouring property.
He said: “Even though I was 100 yards away, I could feel the electric shock run up my legs.”
The former member of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team added: “I was tracking the lightning strikes on an app.
“I could see them coming but it was still a shock when they arrived.
“After the house was hit you could smell the smoke and about half an hour later flames were coming through the roof in two places.”
‘House can’t be saved’
“As well as the thunder and lightning, it was chucking it down. I guess the house can’t be saved and will have to be demolished. It is so desperately sad for the family involved. But the weather was just incredible.”
At the time of yesterday’s incident, a Met Office yellow weather warning was in place for thunderstorms.
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