A Pictish stone has been unearthed by workers constructing a major new road in Perth.

The large carved stone was discovered while excavation work took place near Bertha Park as part of the £35m A9/A85 project.

The carving shows the faint outline of a fearsome figure holding a spear typical of the mid first millennium AD.

It is thought to be one of only a handful of its kind discovered in Scotland including Aberdeenshire, the Highlands and Islands and Shetland.

David Strachan, of Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust, said: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank the finders of the carving for drawing it to our attention.

"This is a really significant find as there are very few such stones known in Scotland, it's a signal of the importance of the area in Pictish times."

After an inspection of the find spot, no further archaeological works were considered necessary and the roadworks have resumed.

The A9/A85 scheme is the first phase of the Perth Transport Futures Project, which started on site in October 2016 and is due to be completed in March 2019.