A total of £5 million has been pledged for a project to boost the capacity of a Scottish harbour to receive cruise ships and vessels working in the offshore oil and gas industry.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s (NDA) Socio-economic fund will contribute to the development and refurbishment of the Scrabster Harbour, which is located close to the Dounreay nuclear site.

The project is expected to create up to 50 new jobs and support the oil and gas and renewables industry.

The programme of improvements, worth £17 million in total, could increase revenue for Scrabster Harbour by 18% over five years.

NDA Chief Executive David Peattie said: “Supporting the communities around our sites is a fundamental part of the NDA’s mission to clean up the UK’s nuclear legacy.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for the NDA to help develop Scrabster Harbour in a way that can have a long lasting impact for the community of Caithness.”