Isles air fares scheme takes off

Residents in the specified area are now entitled to a 40% discount

Cheaper air fares have come into effect for people living in parts of the Highlands and Islands.

Residents in the area are now entitled to a 40% discount on trips to Scotland's main airports.

Transport Minister Tavish Scott announced the scheme in February, which will cost an estimated £11m a year.

Discounts are now available to passengers who live in the Northern and Western Isles and those in Islay, Jura and Caithness.

The deal applies to people taking flights to Inverness, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen and there is no restriction on the number of trips.

Peripheral communities

Students who live away from home are also eligible for the cheap fares.

More than 30,000 concessionary cards have been sent out to people in the region.

The Scottish Executive said the aim was to deliver affordable air fares to Scotland's most peripheral communities.

The discounts will not apply to flights from Barra, Tiree, or Campbeltown because the executive said those areas were already covered by a different scheme.