Twenty year £2bn Highland investment plan approved

The plan aims to fix roads such as this one in Wick

Highland councillors have approved a plan to invest £2bn in improving infrastructure and services over the next 20 years.

A meeting of the full council agreed half of the investment should go towards roads and schools as part of a 10-year first phase.

Convener Bill Lobban said the plan would help create jobs and prosperity across the region.

Schools identified for investment in phase one include Beauly, Charleston, Dunvegan, Fortrose and Inverness High School.

The local authority said it would pay for the plan by borrowing money and using 2% of the revenue it collects through council tax.

Highland has the longest road network in the UK with more than 4,200 miles (6,759km) of roads, in excess of 1,000 miles (1,609km) of footpaths and more than 2,200 bridges and culverts.

Almost 70 of its more than 200 schools have been rated to be in a poor condition and 74 rated as being of poor suitability.