The biggest dam built in Scotland for years could be constructed at a Highland beauty spot made famous in the hit TV show Monarch of the Glen.

Ardverikie Estate is planning to build the 1,365ft high structure on the River Pattack and shores of Loch Laggan, Highlands.

The estate - near Newtonmore in the Highlands - was made famous as the location of the fictional Glenbogle estate in the 1990s television series Monarch of the Glen.

Around 30 construction jobs are expected to be created by the project, which could provide power for 5,000 homes.

Work is expected to begin as early as spring, while the estate has said it is "hugely excited" by the scheme.

Local politicians have also hailed it as a "fantastic example" of a number of new projects in the pipeline across the region.

Planning permission was originally submitted for the dam in 2014 and approved by council officials in August this year.

There was just one local objector to the plans, who feared the development could be at the "expense of the attractiveness" of the area.

John Thomas also raised concerns over a reduction in the water level in the loch due to the scheme.

But a revised plan has now been submitted to Highland Council tackling concerns about original design, reducing the scale of the development to appease Cairngorms National Park Authority planners.

Project manager Gavin McGilloch, of Glasgow and Kendal-based hydro turbine specialist Gilkes Energy, said: "We're excited about the project and working hard to be able to build the scheme within the latest timeframe that we've been granted.

"The good thing about hydro development is that it's low impact."

The estate has not put a figure on the cost of the project, which will be on a 1,900-acre site.

A dam and storage reservoir will be created which will feed into the National Grid at Dalwhinnie.

There will also be a three-quarter-mile-long lochan about six miles west of Dalwhinnie.

Water storage will allow the estate to generate electricity on demands, while new public footpaths to beauty spot the Falls of Pattack will be created by developer RWE Innogy UK to enhance tourism.

Highland councillor for Badenoch and Strathspey Gregor Rimell said: "It is reliable renewable energy with a longterm lifespan beyond the 25 years of windfarms, and although a new development it is a beneficial contrast to the lines of nearby pylons to accommodate wind turbines."

Local MP Drew Hendry said: "This is a fantastic example of many innovative projects happening across the constituency. Its water storage capability is fantastic.

"I look forward to seeing the scheme progress over the coming months."

The Ardverikie project will be about a fifth of the size of the massive 1930s Laggan Dam built by the British Aluminium Company, which is at the southern end of the loch.

Monarch of the Glen was based on Compton Mackenzie's novels and centred on a young laird returning to his family's struggling estate.

The programme lasted for seven series and was broadcast worldwide to 100 countries, including Australia, Canada, the USA and Vietnam.

Its success turned Ardverikie into a tourism hotspot - with its 1870 baronial house and picturesque surroundings a big hit with visitors.

Queen Victoria and Albert stayed in the house for a month before she bought Balmoral.