A man was found eating fish and chips in a pub after a rescue operation was launched to look for him on Loch Ness.
The Loch Ness RNLI crew and coastguard search teams were dispatched after reports of a kayaker in difficulty near Aldourie Castle at the northern end of the loch.
A hillwalker in the area had called the police after spotting what he believed to be the kayaker in difficulty.
The rescue teams were dispatched at about 3.15pm but were unable to find any signs of the kayaker until they spotted the boat which had been brought ashore at Dores.
A spokesman for the coastguard in Aberdeen said the kayaker was then found “safe and well” in the Dores Inn and described the operation as a “false alert”.
A spokesman for the Loch Ness lifeboat said: “Extensive searches by our volunteers and members of the Inverness Coastguard team and Police Scotland resulted in the canoe being found in Dores Bay.
“The paddler had made the wise decision to put ashore before succumbing to the challenging loch conditions.
“Our thanks to the astute hillwalker who made the initial call that significantly increased the chances of a positive outcome if the paddler had found themselves in the water.”
The operation was stood down at about 4.30pm.