A photographer has captured incredible pictures of a humpback whale swimming in the Firth of Forth.
Greg Macvean took the stunning photos of the whale surfacing in the water with views towards Edinburgh and Kinghorn in Fife on Sunday afternoon.
Beautiful snaps show the humpback's fin rising above the waves and it's distinctive tail peaking above the water as it makes its way along the estuary, which meets the North Sea.
It's been months since a humpback whale was spotted anywhere near the waters in an area that was once popular for spotting marine life, including dolphins.
The powerful mammals can grow to 60 feet in length and can weigh just under half the size of a blue whale.
Their distinctive tails can measure up to 18ft alone, and allow them to perform penducle throws - the display of their tail and torso above the water - which is unique to the species.
In 2018, a whale watching base was set up on the Firth of Forth after a huge surge of humpback whale sightings in the waters.
Crowds of whale watchers at Kinghorn Harbour have even been treated to sightings of humpbacks breaching , an incredible spectacle where the creatures launch their bodies out of the water.
Alongside dolphins and humpback whales, minke whales have been known to swim in the area, alongside sperm whales and orcas.
The sighting comes after a young whale was left stranded and died after being separated from its mother while swimming in the estuary in March 2020.
Rescuers worked around the clock for 24 hours in a bid to save the female minke after it was spotted trapped on the sands at Pettycur Bay at high tide.
Vets made the difficult decision to euthanise the mammal after it's chances of survival were deemed low.
