The Monarch of the Glen painting will go on a tour of Scotland after it was saved for the nation.

Sir Edwin Landseer's masterpiece will visit venues in Inverness, Perth, Paisley and Kirkcudbright.

The £8m artwork was on loan to the National Museum of Scotland for 17 years but was put up for sale earlier this year by whisky giant Diageo.

National Galleries of Scotland raised £4m to buy the artwork and Diageo waived the other £4m.

NGS director general Sir John Leighton said: "Thanks to the generosity of the National Lottery and the Scottish Government we are able to take this fantastic picture across the country to be enjoyed by as many people as possible.

"We want this tour of the Monarch of the Glen to be seen as a huge thank you for the overwhelming support that we received during the fundraising campaign and as a celebration that this amazing work of art now belongs to all the people of Scotland.

"We hope that it will be admired and debated by wide audiences across the country."

The Scottish Government contributed £175,000 to the fund to buy the painting.

Culture minister Fiona Hyslop said: "I look forward to seeing the Monarch of the Glen continue to attract visitors from far and wide in the years to come."

Monarch of the Glen's national tour begins at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery on October 6.