Wind turbines at three Highland primary schools are being decommissioned because they are inefficient, while 13 others will turn again, having stood still since May over safety fears they were too close to schools.

None will operate again in wind speeds over 100mph, even though they are considered safe at 134mph.

Highland Council has completed a comprehensive risk assessment of 16 turbines, each in a school's grounds, undertaken by independent consultants Building Research Establishment (BRE).

BRE became concerned about safety after the first visit, to a school in Caithness, and all turbines near schools were shut down.

Each site has been assessed and, following servicing and site works, the turbines will be re-energised school-by-school during November.

However, the turbines at Holm (Inverness), Rosehall (Sutherland) and Eigg (Small Isles) primaries proved to be ineffectual in terms of energy performance and will be decommissioned.

A turbine at Craighill Primary, Tain, proved to be poorly sited and will also be decommissioned. Opportunities will be sought to recycle the equipment.

The turbine at the remote Scoraig Primary School, on the Scoraig peninsula in Wester Ross, has been back in operation since the summer following its assessment.

The other schools with turbines being turned on are: Bower Primary, Castletown Primary, Crossroads Primary, Pulteneytown Primary and South Primary, all in Caithness; Dornoch Academy and Stoer Primary, which are in Sutherland; Gairloch High School, Hilton of Cadboll Primary and Inver Primary, in Ross-shire.

The turbines will also turn again at Acharacle Primary at the south- western end of Loch Shiel and Culloden Academy in Inverness.