A Viking boat burial site has been discovered by archaeologists in the Highlands.

The five metre-long grave, thought to be 1000 years old, held the remains of a high-profile Viking who was buried with an axe, sword and spear.

The site, on the Ardnamurchan peninsula on the west coast, is the first intact boat burial site to be uncovered on the UK.

A ship held together with around 200 metal rivets was used to bury the Viking at the site which has now been fully excavated.

Experts from Archaeology Scotland, cultural heritage organisation CFA Archaeology, and colleagues from universities in Manchester and Leicester, also found a shield boss and bronze ring-pin buried with the Viking.

A knife, a whetstone from Norway, a ring-pin from Ireland and Viking pottery were also found.

Dozens of pieces of iron also found on the site have still to be identified by the team.

Hannah Cobb, co-director of the project, said the boat burial was an "exciting find" for the project which has been excavating artefacts in the area over the past six years.

She said: "Though we have excavated many important artefacts over the years, I think it's fair to say that this year the archaeology has really exceeded our expectations.

"A Viking boat burial is an incredible discovery but in addition to that, the artefacts and preservation make this one of the most important Norse graves ever excavated in Britain."

Oliver Harris, project co-director from the University of Leicester, said: "This project examines social change on the Ardnamurchan peninsula from the first farmers 6000 years ago to the Highland Clearances of the 18th and 19th century.

"In previous seasons our work has examined evidence of changing beliefs and lifestyles in the area, through a study of burial practices in the Neolithic and Bronze age periods 6000 to 4500 years ago and 4500 to 2800 years ago respectively.

"It has also yielded evidence for what will be one of the best-dated Neolithic chambered cairns in Scotland when all of our post excavation work is complete.

"But the find we reveal today has got to be the icing on the cake."