Plans to transport spent radioactive fuel from the nuclear plant at Dounreay by rail have been outlined to councillors.
Rail services will be used to transport 44 tonnes of the fuel 300 miles from the Caithness site to Sellafield in Cumbria.
The proposal by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) would see nearly half of the fuel left at Dounreay removed from the site.
The first of the loads are expected to be moved during the summer.
Anti-nuclear campaigners say the fuel should stay at Dounreay.
Dr Adrian Simper, NDA head of strategy, addressed Highland councillors in Inverness on Thursday to outline his plans for the removal of the nuclear waste.
Anti-nuclear campaigner Tor Justad said: "In this proposal I am concerned about the safety aspects of transporting what is a dangerous material long distances across rural parts of Scotland.
"In the Highlands there are long distances to emergency services and so on.
"It's very much of concern to me and to lots of poeple in the Highlands. People living along that route who had very little information so far will be extremely concerned about this prospect."
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