An intrepid Arctic explorer is celebrating after making it to the half-way point of his 1,800-mile expedition.
But Benno Rawlinson has revealed that he will have to mark the occasion without one vital ingredient a bottle of whisky sent from his mum in Perthshire.
The gift, part of a generous care package, has been impounded by authorities in Nunavut, Canada, where there are strict laws on importing alcohol.
Benno, 28, from Perthshire began his epic quest with fellow explorers Jamie Anderson and Alex Hibbert in January.
The trio planned to become the first to cross the legendary North West Passage under their own steam.
However, Alex was forced to quit the journey after tripping on a tent rope and knocking himself unconscious.
Benno and Jamie have soldiered on through the frozen plains to the Baffin Island community of Clyde where they came across a remote hotel.
Benno, who took part in an adventure-filled Atlantic crossing two years ago, said: “Emily who runs the hotel pointed out my mum had phoned trying to sort out some supplies that she was sending up, including some whisky.
“But it turns out Clyde is also a community with a by-law requiring a permit to buy alcohol as well as the need to ship it up once it has gone through a committee,” he said. “So, it’s safe to say we didn’t manage to get any.”
Because the hotel’s prices were “astronomical” for their tight budget, the pair spent the night at a police station where they had their first hot shower in weeks.
He said: “Wandering about Clyde in the sunshine was certainly a different experience to the previous day of blizzards.
“Turns out it is renowned by local pilots for the worst weather in the region and it is normal for these bad spells to roll through every few days.”
Benno said that their visit to Clyde had been a “pretty special way of starting the second leg”.
The two men have been supported on their journey by a pair of dogs who act as look-outs for polar bears.
The route was famously attempted by English explorer Sir John Franklin in the 19th Century.
Two of his ships set off to chart the unknown stretch of water in 1845, but they became icebound off the northern coast of Canada. The entire expedition, including Franklin and his 128-strong crew, were lost.