SCOTLAND'S recent heatwave is proving costly for the region's salmon fishing industry.

As temperatures continued to soar last week only 27 salmon and five sea trout were caught along the entire Tweed.

And one expert is warning that the industry, which is worth around £24 million to the Borders economy and supports over 500 jobs, could be facing a major crisis.

Former chair of the Tweed Commissioners Andrew Douglas Home stated: "After yet another boiling week, Tweed salmon fishing has all but ceased.

"At a time when salmon numbers in Scotland are low anyway, it is a pretty disastrous situation for everyone connected with the salmon fishing industry.

"Not only has salmon fishing all but ceased here, but everywhere else in Scotland, so severe has been the drought, and so extreme the heat."

This year's drought compounds previously disappointing years on the Tweed which has seen catches fall from an already poor 7680 in 2016 to just 6577 last year.

Mr Douglas Home’s latest blog post on his Tweedbeats website highlights the widening circle of businesses affected by the weather-related downturn in salmon fishing.

From 'fishermen and women for spoiling their annual Scottish fishing holidays, ghillies and boatmen for having endless poor, even blank, fishing weeks to endure and proprietors for now (most probably) having a fifth poor fishing year in a row' to 'tackle shops, hotels, restaurants, B&Bs, self catering accommodation and petrol stations' he states are all being hit by the poor catches.