Large pilot whales were spotted in the Clyde this afternoon - sparking great interest.

Local resident Archie Burleigh, who lives at The Meigle in Skelmorlie, managed to get a rare sighting at 2.30pm and was astonished.

He said: "There is a school of pilot whales going up the river - it is the same family, they are huge and around five metres in length, they're definitely not a dolphin, as they are 1.8 and 2.5-3 metres max and these things are huge, and they are now along at Shuma Court in Skelmorlie heading up the river.

"Unfortunately I was unable to get my camera out in time but it sparked a lot of interest and there were plenty of people looking out in amazement."

Pilot whales are characterised by a round, bulging forehead, a short beak-like snout, and slender pointed flippers and are found in all the oceans of the world except the Arctic.

Described as highly gregarious, pilot whales live in large groups and regularly feed on squid.

The average life span of the species is 46 years.