A first-time metal detectorist sparked a police alert after finding an unexploded bomb near a school in Invergordon in the Highlands.
A number of roads and schools had to be closed following the discovery.
A cordon has been put in place and members of the public are being asked to stay away from the area around Gordon Terrace and Academy Road.
Invergordon Academy, Park Primary and South Lodge Primary have been closed as a result.
A Royal Navy spokesman described the ordnance as historic and said bomb disposal experts were at the scene.
The school closures involve more than 730 pupils.
The ordnance was discovered on Tuesday evening by a group of metal detectorists, which included Ryan Junor who was trying out metal detection for the first time.
He said that after posting an image of the find to metal detectorist social media pages, it was suggested to them that they had possibly found a mortar bomb. The group then alerted the authorities.
Mr Junor said: "We know Invergordon is littered with artefacts. We were certainly not looking for bombs."
A Roya Navy spokesman said: "We can confirm that Charlie Squadron from the Faslane-based Diving Threat and Exploitation Group are attending the incident in Invergordon.
"They have dispatched a Royal Navy bomb disposal officer to the scene and are liaising with Police Scotland to deal with an item of historic ordnance which was found by a metal detectorist."
'Stay away'
Police Scotland spokeswoman said: "Police in Invergordon are currently dealing with an incident at Castle Avenue, resulting in a portion of the road between the junctions of Gordon Terrace and Academy Road being closed.
"Davidson Drive is also shut, with no vehicular or pedestrian traffic permitted."
She added: "Invergordon Academy will be closed until this incident concludes. Members of the public are requested to stay away from the area in the meantime."
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said it had four appliances - two from Invergordon and two from Aberdeen - on standby at the scene.
The town is on the shore of the Cromarty Firth, which served as an anchorage for the Royal Navy before, during and after World War One.
The surrounding area was used for training troops during the war, and the firth was defended during World War Two.
Source: BBC
Image: BBC
