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DAVID ROSS highland correspondent

Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles are also targeting specific provision for them within any new European Union accession treaty.

The scale of the island councils' ambitions were unveiled yesterday at the start of a two-day conference in Kirkwall about their attempts to win greater powers.

Steven Heddle, Orkney's leader, identified enhancing the islands' relationship with Europe as a crucial policy area of their campaign to win more influence and access to EU funding.

He said this could be achieved through regional status and a seat, or seats, on the European Committee of the Regions.

But Mr Heddle said the islands councils could aim higher: "We could ask to be represented directly in Brussels as part of the national representation of our member state, be it the UK or Scotland, as is the case with other islands."

The idea is that the proposals would allow the islands to monitor European legislation, in the same way as Madeira, the Azores and the Baltic Aland Islands.

Mr Heddle added: "We should be bold and seize the opportunities that may arise, such as ensuring that we are written into any new EU accession treaty that proves necessary for an independent Scotland, to give our islands a legal guarantee of a better level of recognition by the EU."

Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles councils recently launched their "Our Islands, Our Future" campaign to win more powers regardless of what happens in next year's referendum.

Read more:

Islands want greater voice in Europe after 2014 referendum