A group of dog walkers stranded by an incoming tide used the lights on their mobile phones to alert rescuers to their whereabouts.
Four people and two dogs were stranded on the coastline at Rosemarkie in the Highlands as the tide came in and darkness fell at around 5pm today.
Aberdeen's Coastguard was alerted and a lifeboat was despatched but could not locate the group in the darkness.
Rescuers then noticed a set of flickering lights as the four people used the torches on their mobile phones to catch the attention of the lifeboat crew.
They were then collected by rescuers and returned to the shore where they were checked over.
A Coastguard spokesman said: "It was good of them to help out in their own rescue.
"They were a little wet and cold but had kept moving around and were all fine."
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