A man convicted of the attempted murder of an American tourist in a Highland beauty spot has been successful in the first stage of his bid to be released from prison.

Colin Ross has had his sentence referred to the High Court of Justiciary in light of a decision by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission.

Ross was jailed for 20 years in July 2006 following his attack on Marty Layman-Mendonca, 57, on the Great Glen Ways, near Inverness.

The primary school teacher had been walking alone in a wooded area at Blackfold, near Loch Ness, when she was struck repeatedly by Ross.

Ross became the first person to get an Order for Lifelong Restriction following her death.

The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission has decided the punishment part of 20 years is excessive and referred it to the High Court.

Ms Layman-Mendonca, of Vermont, was on her third visit to Scotland and walking the last six miles of a solo trek when Ross attacked her with a piece of metal pipe.

He hit her at least 19 times on the head, also using a boulder to inflict injuries.

After assaulting Ms Layman-Mendonca, Ross stole from her, tied her wrists together with shoelaces and dumped her in woods.

Ms Layman-Mendonca was flown to a medical centre near her home in Vermont in September following initial care at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness.

She was later transferred to a rehabilitation centre in Bangor, Maine, where she died.

Sentencing Ross at the High Court in Edinburgh in December 2006, Lord Wheatley ordered him to serve at least 20 years before he was considered for parole.

Ross, who admitted attempted murder at an earlier hearing, was told he had committed a "savage and senseless" assault on a defenceless woman.

Ross was the subject of a Sexual Offence Prevention Order when he launched his attack.

Less than a month earlier, Ross had been freed from a three-year jail sentence for attacking a female German tourist in 2004.