Recruitment drives from two firms are set to create 140 new jobs in the north of Scotland.

Highland security firm The Castle Group wants to increase its workforce by more than 60%.

The company, based at Dalcross Industrial Estate near Inverness, will add approximately 90 new staff to its 140-strong workforce by the summer.

Energy-saving company Mark Group will create 50 local jobs after the opening of the new service distribution centre in Aberdeen.

The international company, which helps to insulate 7000 homes every week, officially opened its new centre on Monday morning.

Jim Ferguson, The Castle Group managing director, said: "The last 18 months have been increasingly busy and all the early signs indicate that demand for our services will continue throughout 2012.

"We're very keen as a firm to help stabilise the local economy and we can do that by helping get people back to work and getting them fully licensed, trained, and qualified to work for The Castle Group. We know that in the UK unemployment is at an all time high.

"Our growth is across the whole of the Highlands and Moray and across our range of services. We will be looking to recruit for security, door supervision, CCTV monitoring, and we have more specialist roles, for example in dealing with violence and aggression."