There are plans to provide greater protection to Culloden Battlefield from any plans for nearby housing, by extending the designated conservation area round the historic site.

It follows calls for the Scottish Government to intervene in a row last year over new housing within half a mile of the iconic location

Up to 2000 men are thought to lie beneath Culloden Moor having fallen when the Jacobite dream ended there in April 1746, changing the course of British history.

In 2013 Highland Council initially refused Inverness Properties' plan for the development at Viewhill Farm about half a mile from the battlefield. But, following an appeal by the developers, a Scottish Government-appointed reporter said planning permission should be granted with conditions. The houses haven't yet been built, but many feel more should be done to prevent any further threat to the site.

Next week Highland councillors will consider plans for a the first "substantial" review of the existing conservation areas for Culloden Battlefield and Culloden House since they were first designated in 1968.

If the designated conservation area round the battlefield is extended, it would change the rights to build which would normally be permitted under planning control. It would also mean that planning permission would be required for existing houses anting to install satellite dishes, build walls and fences or alter windows and doors.

The National Trust for Scotland (NTS), which manages the battlefield, had objected to the housing plan and an NTS spokesman welcomed the proposed review of the conservation within the Highland Council. "Clearly if it had been in place before,we wouldn't have had this proposed development at Viewhill Farm," he said.

The Stop Development at Culloden campaign group, which gathered more than 16,000 signatures on a petition against the houses last year, has also been delighted by the news:

Founder George Kempik said Culloden Battlefield was famous all over the world and people everywhere had been concerned at the Viewhill housing plans."We are delighted that the old conservation area is now considered out of date and is planned to be extended," he said.