An aristocrat has been found dead at the foot of some Scottish cliffs after what a friend described as a "tragic accident".
The body of Alexander Sutherland - Lord Strathnaver - was found at the bottom of 30ft cliffs at Thurso East, near the ruined 19th century Thurso Castle in Caithness.
A friend mourned the tragic loss of the "lovely, happy-go-lucky" 41-year-old, adding Lord Strathnaver had been attending the Tunes in the Dunes music festival at the weekend in Dunnet - mainland Britain's most northerly point.
A keen surfer, he also had a house a few miles away at Thurso East which is a top UK surfing location.
"He was walking with a friend and she was ahead of him. The next she knew he had gone over the cliffs. It was a tragic accident," said the friend, who asked not to be named.
"She climbed down to him and gave him CPR. Neither had a mobile phone. She had to climb back up and find a phone and call for help.
"Sadly Al could not be saved. He was such a lovely chap - a really happy go lucky person. He had no airs. I did not know him as Lord Strathnaver - just as Al."
Thurso Lifeboat was launched at 11.30pm on Saturday after reports of a person the rocks, the service confirmed.
"The lifeboat quickly made its way to the area and casualty care trained crew members went ashore in the inflatable Y boat. They located the casualty and gave CPR and assisted Scottish Ambulance Service and local coastguard dealt with the situation until Police Scotland took control," said a spokesperson.
Lord Strathnaver’s friend added: "He was a keen surfer - he used to surf every day and that is why he had a house at Thurso East.
"He also had a little surf shop. It appears he had been at the music festival, had left it and may have been heading back. It is such a tragic loss."
A spokesperson for Dunrobin said the family had no comment at this stage.
His grandmother, Elizabeth, the 24th Countess of Sutherland, died in 2019 aged 98.
The countess's death meant her eldest son Alistair became the Earl of Sutherland and his son Alexander, took the title of Lord Strathnaver.
Her will revealed that one of her sons would apparently inherit substantially less than his twin brother.
Due to being born just a few minutes later, Martin Janson saw his twin brother Alistair become the 25th Earl of Sutherland and inherit the 120,000 acres of Dunrobin Castle in Sutherland.
Published probate documents confirm that the Countess made a new will, determining the fate of her vast fortune, drawn up with the assistance of Farrer & Co, the Queen's solicitors.
Elizabeth left £25,000 to each of her grandchildren, £10,000 to each of her great-grandchildren, and £5,000 both to Alistair's current wife, Gillian, and to his first wife, Eileen.
The bulk of the will has been left to trusts connected to the castle.
