Work is to be carried out to assess what needs to be done to protect two Highland coastal communities from flooding.
Highland Council has commissioned comprehensive flood protection studies for Thurso and Golspie.
Both have been affected by flooding over the years and have been identified as “potentially vulnerable” in a risk management plan covering the Highlands and Argyll.
The most serious incident in Thurso happened in January 2005, when a tidal surge during a storm combined with high river level.
It resulted in the existing defences on the River Thurso being breached and widespread flooding occurring within the town centre.
Several other small incidents have also been recorded over the last few years.
Golspie on the eastern coast of Sutherland is vulnerable to flooding from the sea.
The sea wall which runs along the front to protect the village is often overtopped by waves during high tides when combined with storm events, resulting in flooding along the front and into the town centre.
The council has now awarded a contract to American-owned engineering giant AECOM to carry out in-depth flood protection studies of the two affected towns.
The work will take place over the next two years and will involve producing detailed models of the hydrology of the area.
It is designed to get a better understanding of tidal and river levels to assess what protection would help prevent floods in future.
A spokeswoman for the council said: “The results from these models will enable the council to assess the most sustainable solution to effectively mitigate the flood risk in each area for the mid to long-term.
“Each flood protection study will, by the spring of 2019, have developed outline designs for public consultation and council approval.”
Several other flood protection studies are also due to get underway across the Highlands in the coming few years.
These include the Tarbet Ness area in Ross-shire, the River Nairn, the River Ness upstream from Inverness city centre, the River Spey in Aviemore and the risk to Fort William from Loch Linnhe and the River Nevis.
