It said the scheduled closure of Hunterston B and Torness means that Scotland would lose a significant volume of low-carbon power and called for the extension or ultimate replacement of Scotland's nuclear facilities.

BBC: Decision time

But according to his calculations, during storms such as Monday's, the wave power potential down the 124 miles (200km) length of the Western Isles could match the output of 120 Torness-sized nuclear power stations.

BBC: Could big waves be big news for the Western Isles?

Despite opposition to nuclear power, the document said the Scottish government will not use its powers to block an extension to operations at Torness in East Lothian, which is licensed to 2023, and Hunterston in Ayrshire, which is currently scheduled to close in 2016.

BBC: Scotland's nuclear stations could stay open