A near-60ft long whale stranded on a beach in Scotland's Western Isles last week has died.

According to The Daily Telegraph, the whale was discovered on South Uist last Monday afternoon.

Despite the best efforts of rescue volunteers from British Divers Marine Life Rescue, the two-tonne creature - believed to be a sei or fin whale - could not be refloated.

Sadly, euthanasia was also ruled out as an option because of the side of the animal.

Death was pronounced on Tuesday, and a post-mortem will now be carried out to find out what may have caused the whale to beach itself.

The stranding comes after two serious incidents in Scotland earlier this year.

A previously reported on Afloat.ie, 25 pilot whales died after a mass stranding at the Kyle of Durness in July, while May saw a lucky escape for another pod of pilot whales at Loch Carman in South Uist.

This time last year 33 pilot whales from a group that almost stranded in Loch Carman were found dead on a beach in Donegal.

Forty-four stranded pilot whales have been returned to open water after a mass beaching in the Scottish Highlands, The Independent reports.

Medics from British Divers Marine Life Rescue joined the coastguard and navy working  through the night to right whales that stranded on their sides or backs, or on top of each other, before the morning tide.

Sadly 25 whales from the pod died at the Kyle of Durness, a tragic echo of last autumn's mass stranding in Donegal, where 33 whales were lost.

The Independent has more on the story HERE.