ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners have hit out after it emerged that a team of petroleum geologists are on Skye exploring the potential for oil production along the west coast of Scotland.

A field trip to the island is being led by Dr Nick Schofield, a lecturer in petroleum geology in Aberdeen University's School of Geosciences. He has been joined by 30 geologists from international energy companies including OMV, Dong, JX Nippon, Statoil and ENI, among others.

He said a lack of offshore seismic data from the area over the last two decades meant it was now known whether or not commercial oil production off the west coast was viable.

He said the geologists wanted investigate what Inner Hebridean basins could tell them about the prospects for commercial petroleum extraction along the Atlantic Margin.

They are also examining the hydrocarbon potential which may remain in the near-shore basins along the west coast of Scotland from the Minch down to the Firth of Clyde.

But Dr Richard Dixon, director of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: "Scotland already produces seven times as much hydro-carbons as we use, and globally we know about five times as much as we can possibly burn if we are to avoid disastrous climate change.

"Whether it is fracking or new oil off the west coast, the last thing Scotland needs is yet more fossil fuels.

"We should be turning our academic and engineering expertise to reducing energy demand and making a rapid transition to renewable sources of energy, not squeezing out the last drop of oil."

However SNP MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch Dave Thompson disagreed, saying: "It is welcome news that experts are exploring the potential for oil production on the west coast of Scotland - and we will eagerly await the outcome of this."