Four people were rescued from Loch Ness after their yacht ran aground near Fort Augustus.
The 36ft vessel, Trailblazer, got stuck in shingle at Inchnacardoch Bay at 9.30pm yesterday.
The yacht was not damaged by the impact and the people were uninjured.
The group was an a four week sailing holiday after hiring the yacht at Dublin. They were heading south through Loch Ness after sailing in the North Sea.
They were unable to free themselves and called the Coastguard, who alerted their own local volunteers and the Loch Ness Lifeboat.
Lifeboat spokesman Martin Douglas said that the crew reached the scene within 25 minutes.
The skipper of the yacht had prepared a tow line at the stern and this was handed to lifeboat crewman Jamie Young who boarded the vessel.
The line was attached to the lifeboat, which then pulled the boat free of the shingle.
The vessel was then towed to Fort Augustus where Coastguards checked it for damage.
Mr Douglas said that the people on the yacht had done the right thing by contacting the Coastguard.
He said: “We would positively encourage people, if they are in difficulty, to make an early call. The Coastguard can give advice on what to do.”
