Prayers were being said last night for the parents of a toddler who was seriously hurt after she was accidentally knocked down by a car driven by her mother.
Little Emma Perkins was in a stable condition in the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill in Glasgow following the incident at the family home in Inverness.
Church ministers in Smithton and Culloden said the whole community was thinking of the 19-month old infant and wishing her parents well.
One local councillor said the accident was “every parent’s nightmare”.
The accident is being investigated by the Dingwall based road policing unit, and officers will interview Emma’s mother about it in due course.
The youngster was on the front driveway of their home at Sinclair Park in Smithton when she was hit by the vehicle.
It is understood her mother, Morag Guthrie, 46, was moving the car when her daughter walked out of the house unnoticed.
The little girl was initially taken by ambulance to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness with what police described as serious injuries.
She was later transferred to the sick kids hospital in Glasgow, where her condition was not thought to be so grave.
The Rev Mike Robertson, of Church of Scotland minister at the Barn Church in Culloden, said: “There’s always a sense of shock and disbelief when something like this happens in your local community.
“I’m a father of young children myself and I simply can’t imagine the pain and trauma that little Emma and her family will be going through.
“I’m sure I join with many in the local community in assuring the family that they will very much be in our thoughts and prayers right now, and also through the days and weeks ahead.”
The Rev David Meredith the minister at Smithton-Culloden Free Church, said: “Although it’s a fairly large community it is still fairly close knit and everyone is shocked.
“I certainly offer sympathy to the family and they can be assured of they are in the prayers of the local church.
“This time of year exacerbates the sadness but also means that the community are brought together when something terrible like this happens.”
Emma’s mother and father Alan Perkins travelled to Glasgow to be at their daughter’s bedside following the accident.
Ms Guthrie is believed to work as a nurse at Raigmore Hospital.
Councillor Ken Gowans, who lives at Westhill, said: “It sounds to me like it is simply a tragic accident and it must be a parent’s nightmare.
“It is bad enough something like this happening at any time but at this time of year it is particularly tragic and the community’s thoughts go out to the family.”
A group called Inverness Mummys, which has 2,867 members on a popular social networking site, also attracted a number of comments wishing the family all the best during this difficult time.