A CRUCIAL part of the biggest military exercise in Europe had to be relocated after three whales were stranded on a Scots beach.

The RAF stopped its practice bombing runs near Portmahomack, Easter Ross, while rescue teams tried to save the stricken mammals. Two of the whales survived after returning to the ocean, but a third died despite the efforts of wildlife experts and volunteers.

A military spokesman said the bombing practice had been moved elsewhere and would not return to the area for the final day of the war games yesterday after a request by the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR).

He added: "The RAF were conducting an exercise in the area as part of Exercise Joint Warrior and were contacted by BDMLR, who informed them about the whales.

"The RAF agreed to move the exercise activity elsewhere as a precaution. The RAF also agreed to carry out a visual inspection of the area before conducting exercises to see if there is any marine mammal activity.

"If there is, they won't exercise in that area."

Portmahomack housewife Jackie More, 42, first saw the whales while walking her dog on Wednesday morning. Another resident, Ann Mackay, 56, said she had never seen whales beached in the area before.

The pair called the Coastguard then started to dig the animals out of the sand and throw buckets of water over them.

A 10-strong team of Scottish SPCA, Coastguard and BDMLR members quickly arrived, along with 10 local volunteers.

The group got one whale out to sea without much difficulty, despite explosions at the nearby RAF Tain bombing range.

They fought for three hours to save a weaker second whale and managed to get it into deeper water just minutes before it was about to be put down.

A third whale died despite all their efforts to rescue it.

The team praised Ms More and Ms Mackay and said that without them all three whales could have died.

Speaking of the second whale, BDMLR member Alastair Jack said: "The two women probably saved its life by getting it upright. It was difficult to refloat it with the surf and the amount of people we had was not enough for the size of the animal.

"We tried the inflatable pontoon but the surf was too strong, so we manhandled it back into the water.

"We restored its equilibrium by rocking it from side-to-side. It was really its last chance when we released it for it to stay upright and swim away.

"It had been stranded for 12 hours and normally after that time they cannot survive."

Scottish SPCA senior inspector Andy Brown added: "It was make-or-break time. If it wasn't able to keep itself upright, it would have been euthanized. A third whale could not be saved."

About 13,000 military personnel from nine different countries are taking part in Exercise Joint Warrior. It includes 49 ships from the UK, Canada, Holland and Germany and about 40 military aircraft.

Yesterday also saw 1600 British and French paratroops take part in an exercise at the West Freugh airfield near Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway.