The expansion of a submarine testing range could cost fishermen £480,000 a year, a new report says.

The proposed 11-square mile expansion of the Raasay Range would displace 19 boats and halve profits for local fishermen, according to a Ministry of Defence (MoD) study.

Fishing is already banned in an 18-square mile area between the isle of Raasay and Scotland's north west coast.

The MoD said choosing not to expand the Raasay Range would "call into question its long-term viability".

But it admitted the plan could cost a handful of local fishing jobs, increase costs, and reduce catch sizes.

The MoD said the regular flow of visitors to the range, which employs around 150 people, generates £750,000 for the local economy each year.

The MoD's report concluded: "A larger water space is required to deliver the capability of a modern test and evaluation.

"In responses to our survey most fishermen have indicated that they would fish elsewhere but that it would be difficult for these boats to maintain the same level of output.

"The direct impact of this is that these fishermen are likely to catch less. The cost of this in lost profits has been estimated at between £230,000 and £600,000 per year with a most likely value of £480,000 per year.

"There is, however, considerable uncertainty around this estimate as it is based on assumptions about how fishermen decided to respond to the proposed increase in the range, the size of the catch they are able to land afterwards and therefore how much their profits might decrease."