A state-supported air link has opened to provide travel access to the north of the Scottish mainland.
Eastern Airways has started flying from Wick John O’Groats airport to Aberdeen in collaboration with the Highland Council and Transport Scotland.
The new service from the UK’s most northerly mainland airport will run up to twice daily each way on weekdays and Sundays.
The move restores regional connectivity from Caithness and Sutherland to the hub airport of Aberdeen.
The schedule will include early morning Wick John O’Groats departures on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from April 25.
Flights have been timed to allow for connections at Aberdeen onward to Heathrow with British Airways and Amsterdam with KLM.
The service also provides a Norwegian energy related link by Wideroe and SAS and leisure destinations via Gatwick and Luton with easyJet plus holiday options with Tui and Ryanair.
Fares on the Wick-Aberdeen route start at £39.99 one-way.
Lord John Thurso, chair of Visit Scotland, said: “Connectivity is vital both for the business community in Caithness and for the visitor economy. This route offers excellent onward connectivity and helps open Caithness for visitors. Importantly it also helps secure the airport’s future.”
Eastern Airways managing director Adam Wheatley added: “Helping develop vital regional connectivity is what Eastern Airways have done for 25 years, so yesterday’s inaugural service helped connect Caithness as one of the remotest mainland regions back into the hub airport of Aberdeen.
“This helps avoid one of the most distant surface transport journeys in Scotland and the wide array of onward connectivity available, in a low emission aircraft fits our belief in how sustainable aviation can meet the need of the UK economy and extensive connectivity into the future.”
Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) chair Lorna Jack said: “This new scheduled flight is the reward for a lot of hard work by many individuals and organisations who built a compelling case for a PSO [public service obligation], and they are to be commended on the success of those efforts.
“HIAL has invested millions of pounds in recent years to ensure Caithness has a sustainable and viable aviation infrastructure and I am delighted we can once again welcome air passengers to and from the region.“