'Last forever'

Shellfish fisherman Jay Mackay, who lives in Halkirk and fishes out of Inverness, sees good and bad in the chase for marine renewables.

Like Gunn, he is in favour of greener power and harbours hopes that the industry could one day offer employment to his children.

Mr Mackay has fished for crab and lobster off the Highlands' east and north coasts for the last 30 years.
Jay Mackay Jay Mackay hopes renewables will create jobs for his children's generation

He said: "A lot of people are hopeful about renewable energy from the firth because it is something that could last forever.

"It is not something that will run out like oil and coal.

"But it is going to be a steep learning curve and I don't think they have got the technology yet to fix down devices in some of the places in the Pentland Firth they are talking about."

The fisherman said the firth's waters could be "violent" and slack times for anchoring barges and deploying devices could last for as little as an hour.

Mr Mackay said: "The tide going against the wind causes a lot of the motion in the firth and a lot of Atlantic swell comes down through it as well. It's a severe place."

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