AN AMATEUR photographer has captured a stunning image of a stag with a “saltire on his nose” in the Scottish Highlands.
Louise Carle didn’t spot the unique marking on the male deer until she returned back home from a walk around Achnasheen, Ross-shire, on Friday and was looking back through her photographs.
The image shows the majestic animal standing on the glen staring directly towards Louise as she captured the shot.
On closer inspection, the shape and shade of the stag’s nose appears to look exactly like a Scottish flag.
Louise, 50, from Dingwall, said she was delighted after capturing the amazing snap and later posted it on social media where viewers were blown away by the image.
Writing on Facebook on Sunday, she said: “Saw this guy out and about but it looks like he has a saltire on his nose.”
Her post received over 400 likes and scores of comments from impressed social media users.
Ellen McCotter-Divers said: “Awesome photo!”
Teresa Gallonty said: “Stag-gering photos.”
Tony Stirton said: “He’s a handsome loon.”
And Howie Elliot said: “Monarch of the glen.”
Speaking today, Louise said: “I took the photo around 10am, I knew where I was going I’d hopefully see some stags as I love them and they are such bonnie beasts especially with those antlers.
“I didn’t realise until I got home and was looking at the pictures [that he had a saltire on his nose] I was delighted as it just looked so Scottish.”
Stags shed their antlers and grow new ones which can be up to one metre in breadth and weigh as much as 15kg.