A group of young innovators from Easter Ross gave Deputy First Minister Jim Wallace an insight into their vision for the future of mobile phone technology today (Thursday).

The five Alness Academy pupils met Mr Wallace during his visit to PICT Innovation Ltd's premises in Alness, where he was finding out how the company can turn innovators' information and communications technology-based (ICT) ideas into business ventures.

As winners of PICT's recent ICT Youth Challenge competition, the pupils were invited to brief Mr Wallace on their award-winning proposal for a high-tech mobile phone top-up card.

Their invention would allow users to top up their phone credit using bank cashline machines, and it beat 50 other entries to win the team a trip to the Media Lab in Dublin to find out about 'blue-sky' research taking place across Europe.

The competition was designed to stimulate technology-based innovation in young people while helping them to gain project management and business skills.  It was delivered by PICT on behalf of Highlands and Islands Enterprise.