The cause of an inferno which destroyed a historic building on the outskirts of Inverness remains unknown.
Dunain House, just off the A82 Inverness to Fort William road, has been reduced to a burnt-out shell following Wednesday evening’s blaze.
It is too dangerous for anyone to enter the building, with structural engineers expected to assess the extent of the damage next week.
Until then, the combined police and fire service investigation is on hold.
The blackened shell has been fenced off.
One police officer was at the scene yesterday, and was joined by two CID officers around 11.30am.
The entire area had turned into a mud bath, created by the amount of water used in dousing the flames, which had shot hundreds of feet into the air at the fire’s height.
A smell of smoke lingered in the air, while behind the barriers, twisted metal, blown-out windows, blackened walls, and the shell of a building are all that remains.
There was evidence of graffiti on one of the interior walls still standing, while a one-storey wing of the house was also unscathed.
Neighbours had raised the alarm at 10.30pm on Wednesday but despite a 12-hour battle, firefighters were unable to save the B-listed mansion.
At the height of the outbreak, six fire appliances were at the scene, backed by a specialist height vehicle and a water carrier, as flames could be seen for miles around.
It was an annexe of Craig Dunain Hospital in Inverness.
A spokesman for Scottish Fire and Rescue said: “It could be a few days before the assessment is carried out, and our inquiries in conjunction with Police Scotland, are able to continue.
“For public safety reasons, the area is under cordon and members of the public are asked to avoid the area where possible. If anyone has any information about the incident they should call 101.”