MUCKING out the byre will soon be on the timetable for some West Highland pupils.

The likes of English, maths and history are being joined by a new subject – crofting.

Plockton is a National Trust for Scotland (NTS) conservation village and the charity is backing the teaching of crofting skills at the village's high school, which caters for pupils across south-west Ross-shire.

NTS supporters from abroad are helping to fund the development of the course, which aims to provide the next generation with a good practical foundation for life on the modern croft.

Pupils will get the chance to work hands-on at a nearby croft and also learn more about the business end of running a croft, with visits to a local dairy, the market and even the abattoir.

Developed with the help of local crofters, the subject is based upon the Crofting Year course that has been running at Lionacleit High School on Benbecula for six years. The Plockton course will take pupils two years to complete, with students gaining a Level Five National Certificate in Crofting – an SQA recognised qualification.

The NTS's Balmacara property manager and project leader for the course, Iain Turnbull, said: "The trust has been working to support and promote crofting in this area for more than a decade.

"We recognise the unique contribution this way of life makes to the area, in terms of its natural, cultural and built heritage.

"We hope the course will encourage more young people to take up crofting in the future."