Paw patrol: Scotland's prize-winning snow dogs

Two rescue dogs and their handlers are to receive a special award in recognition of their prize-winning achievements.

Rogue, a Belgian malinois, and border collie Bowie along with their husband-and-wife handlers Paul and Sam Noble are based in Braemar.

The team passed an intensive Search and Rescue Dog Association (Sarda) training course in a year, when it usually takes two years to complete.

Mrs Noble and Bowie won Sarda Scotland's Mardas Trophy for best novice team in March last year, and just weeks later Mr Noble and Rogue found their first missing hillwalker.

It was only the second time in Sarda Scotland's history a novice team had found a missing walker in an official search.

Rogue and Bowie also accompany the Nobles on their daily winter trips into the Southern Cairngorms to carry out avalanche hazard assessments for the Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS).

The dogs and their handlers have now been named winners of a special Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture to mark the Fort William Mountain Festival's 20th anniversary.

The festival takes place next week.

Mr and Mrs Noble said they were delighted with the latest honour.

They said: “Mountains are our life and we’ve been fortunate to complete many routes and summits that have been difficult.

"Becoming a search dog team has been, in some ways, a similar challenge.

"Ultimately it requires absolute commitment, with major highs and lows during the journey.

"Getting back up again when you’ve been knocked down is perhaps the hardest part."