Soutar, whose business covers Angus and Tayside, said he had found a variety of things up chimneys in his time.

He once pulled out a letter to Santa.

“It had everything the wee kiddie wanted and it had wee pictures and things – that was really cute.”

He previously rescued another tawny owl from a chimney two years ago.

While sweeping out a log burner flue that had not been used for a year, he came across the trapped bird.

Soutar was able to get a hold of the bird and ease her out.

She was weak and tired but otherwise unharmed, and the creature was handed over to the SSPCA.