Aviation safety bosses have launched an investigation after terrified picnickers were forced to flee as a helicopter headed straight for them.
Dramatic footage of the incident shows a family and a couple walking their dog running for safety as the aircraft comes in to land at a Highland beauty spot.
The aircraft eventually touched down safely – just feet from where people had been enjoying a quiet lunch.
Video of the incident at Applecross on the Wester Ross coast has been posted online.
It shows the people on the ground being buffeted by the downwash from the helicopter’s rotors.
Some viewers of the clip have described the landing as “reckless”.
But others said those on the ground should have had the “commonsense” to move sooner.
The aircraft involved is believed to be locally-based but was not identified last night.
Judy Fish, owner of the nearby Applecross Inn, which attracts about 15 helicopter visits each year, said: “As the owner, I received absolutely no complaints.
“In fact, everybody was very excited, filming and taking photographs of it.
“They were lovely people. There was no disruption, it was fine. All the customers were very happy.
“It was probably a little bit nearer the inn than usual because there’s some building work that’s taking place.
“Normally they land with ease, but there’s building work going on and so they were a little bit further over than they would normally be.”
She said a range of other helicopter operators pop in to the Applecross Inn for lunch on a regular basis, landing beside the nearby rocky beach.
Mrs Fish said: “They come from anywhere. Some might have won a prize of a trip on a helicopter. Quentin Smith, a famous helicopter stunt pilot, pops in for a seafood lunch on his way to Iceland two or three times a year.”
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) confirmed last night it was investigating.
A spokesman for the CAA said: “We are aware of this incident and are looking into it. It would be inappropriate to offer any further comment while that process is ongoing.”
The two-minute video shows the helicopter hovering, close to the picnickers, before landing.
For a time, a hardcore of three remain seated close below as the chopper blades appear to spin perilously close to their heads.
They only move when a man races in to usher them away.
Seconds after they scatter, the helicopter lands several feet from where they had been sitting.
Another couple forced to flee are seen soothing their dog as the wash from the rotors whips around them.
The video was uploaded to a social networking site by Willie Ashe, from Inverness, who captioned it “Went on a nice pleasant run in the car to Applecross today and a chopper almost landed on some folk eating their chips”.
Widely regarded as a gem of the northwest Highlands, Applecross was a key location for TV’s Hamish Macbeth.
It is accessed by the Bealach nam Bo, the highest pass in Scotland at 2,053ft above sea level, or by the coast road from Shieldaig.