More than a third of primary schools in Inverness will be bursting at the seams in the next five years, councillors are being warned.
Rising pupils numbers and cramped facilities mean that plans are being drawn up to deal with problems at nine primaries across the city.
Proposals to alleviate the pressure include capping rolls at some schools, as well as building a new primary at Ness Castle and a second Gaelic-medium primary are being considered as potential solutions.
Other options include using general purpose rooms as classrooms or adding temporary accommodation units to school campuses to create extra space.
Out of the total of 22 schools, Inverness Gaelic School has been identified as at most risk from its rising roll.
The report, prepared by Brian Porter, the authority’s head of resources, care and learning, says that in the short term classes may have to be moved off site, while a second school could be needed longer term.
School facilities – particularly the dining hall – would not be able to cope with adding extra teaching space at the existing building.
Another school under serious strain is Merkinch Primary, where the roll is expected to rise “for the foreseeable future”, while the ageing building is also a cause for concern.
A feasibility study is currently being carried out to determine the “investment that would be required to bring this school up to an appropriate standard”.
Milton of Leys Primary has come under scrutiny in recent years because of struggles to accommodate pupils in the new build school.
The school is expected to exceed planned capacity in the next five years, although it is expected that it should peak and then fall back within that time.
However, nearby Inshes is forecast to continue to rise for the foreseeable future.
Other schools identified in the report are Kinmylies, Cradlehall, Smithton, Holm, Lochardil and Hilton.
Mr Porter said: “It is clear that there are a number of schools in Inverness that are potentially facing significant roll pressures over the next five years and beyond.”
The report will be considered by the City of Inverness area committee on Tuesday.