Visitors to one of Scotland’s most picturesque glens were horrified to find deer body parts strewn around a popular Highland beauty spot.
The grim discovery was made near a waterfall in Glencoe, which is a magnet for photographers and tourists.
The Allt Lairig Eilde drops into the River Coe at the Falls of Coe beside the A82 Fort William to Glasgow road in Lochaber and there is a tourist car park within a short walking distance of the falls.
A message about the gruesome find was posted on a social networking site by a woman who said her sister had discovered it when she stopped to take photos of the waterfall.
Nona Hay, of Aberdeen, wrote: “They looked over a wall and to their horror there are deer heads and legs strewn about.
“Is this the result of poachers picking the easy target of the Glencoe deer?
“Or is it laziness on part of gamekeepers culling said deer?
“Either way it has been a traumatising experience for them.”
Inspector Donald Campbell, stationed at Fort William, confirmed that the police were aware of the incident.
He said: “The discovery of the heads and legs of deer and other animal waste was reported to us by a member of the public.
“Officers visited the scene and they are working with the local estate to try to establish how many animals were involved and how recently they were killed.
“Inquiries are ongoing to establish their possible origin and to see if they relate to a deer poaching incident.”
A spokeswoman for the National Trust for Scotland confirmed that the trust was responsible for the area where the deer body parts were found.
She said: “We were notified of the incident by the local police and we are cooperating fully with their inquiries.
“The suspicion is that it was the result of poaching.”
She added that they believed the remains had come from four or five deer.
She said: “The trust’s role in Glencoe is one of conservation so we work closely with the local communities and other landowners in the area to promote biodiversity and wildlife in the area.”