Protesters campaigned against the pylons

The line will cross Sheriffmuir, near Stirling, where the Clan MacRae was virtually wiped out in a battle during the Jacobite rebellion.

The remains of the fallen are still at the site of the battle, fought by Royalist and government forces in 1715.

Scottish and Southern Energy promised to make a fully informed decision on the route of the 137-mile line.

The transmission line is planned to run from Beauly near Inverness to Denny near Falkirk.

The Clan MacRae Society held a protest on Saturday at Sheriffmuir to echo calls for a public inquiry into the proposals.

Digging the battlefield

Society member Fraser McRae fears many of the dead which still lie on the battlefield could be disturbed if plans to build a major power line cut through the site.

"The pylons will require foundations and that will mean digging huge holes right across the battlefield," said Mr McRae, 61, of Montrose.

"Many of the men who died here still lie here after almost 300 years and we don't think it's acceptable that they should be disturbed at this time for this reason."

'Robust' application

The battle of Sheriffmuir, fought on 13 November 1715, is seen as a key event of the rebellion.

The Jacobite forces, led by the Earl of Mar, and the government army, under the Duke of Argyll, fought each other to a standstill.

The MacRaes, fighting on the Royalist left flank were virtually wiped out.