SCOTLAND'S ONLY professional sled dog racer has hit the ground running along with his team of 31 Scandinavian hounds.

Graeme Scott, 37, won the silver medal in the European championships in Norway, despite only turning pro a few weeks ago.

And just days earlier, the ex-Army racer from Dumfriesshire finished fifth in the prestigious world dog sledding championships in Sweden.

Graeme, who was in the Royal Engineers for 18 years, became the UK's only professional sled dog racer when he retired his Army commission at the end of last year. He is already is racing teams of up to 16 dogs, travelling distances of up to 15 miles in gruelling time trials.