Landmark Dounreay dome faces threat of demolition

But the Dounreay dome could vanish from the horizon forever after claims that the building, which many had hoped would acquire listed status, will be too expensive to maintain after it is decommissioned.

Plans to strip out the Dounreay fast reactor over the next 30 years had been carefully worked out with Historic Scotland and nuclear regulators under a "gentleman's agreement". This, it was believed, would lead to the facility being formally listed at the end of decommissioning as a lasting legacy of the nuclear industry's 50-year presence in Caithness.

But The Scotsman has learned that while Historic Scotland is keen to keep the structure, it has not yet been listed, and the site operator, the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), says it is too costly to keep.

It costs 150,000 just to paint the dome every couple of years and an estimated six-figure sum annually to maintain after decommissioning.

Mike Brown, the head of decommissioning at Dounreay, said: "If it is going to be maintained, someone will have to come forward and sponsor it.

"At present we are focused on the hazard and there is a consultation planned for later this year about the condition we leave the site in once decommissioning is complete. Included in this will be discussion with Historic Scotland and other parties about what should happen to the shell once it has been cleaned out."

Work is ongoing to clean out the inside of the reactor in a project that will take until 2030 and cost 250 million.

The clean-out is seen as one of the biggest and most hazardous tasks of the site restoration - due to end by 2036 at a cost of 2.9 billion - and one of the most complex facing the nuclear industry anywhere.

A spokeswoman for Historic Scotland said yesterday: "The owner of a listed building is under the same responsibility as owners of any other buildings and it is for the local planning authority to ensure that they are kept in suitable condition.

"We believe the Dounreay fast reactor is a fascinating building that deserves to be protected.

"Historic Scotland has an excellent working relationship with the owner, which appreciates the value of the structure.

"We have said we would like to list the reactor in the future and we will continue to work closely with the UKAEA."

The International Council on Monuments and Sites, a United Nations body which identifies modern sites of world significance, has named the dome as an important landmark in the UK, alongside the Forth road and rail bridges.

The Dounreay reactor was completed in 1958 and operated from 1959 to 1977.

Audrey Dakin: 'An icon for the north'

THE Dounreay dome is a piece of industrial archaeology and I would prefer that it stays. It is an icon for the north coast of Scotland and part of what characterises that area. In the same way that chimneys remain from tin mines in Cornwall, it should be kept as a reminder of a past era.

Dounreay has been part of the history of Caithness for 50 years and a major employer during that time.

It is part of the history and culture of that part of Scotland - for better or worse.

I recognise that it was not all benefits that came with the Dounreay reactor but it had an important place in the area's past, and retaining the dome would be a memento of that - as well as a memento of the fact that it is an iconic building in its own right.

• Audrey Dakin is the director of the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland

Lorraine Mann: 'A monument to folly'

THE taxpayer has shelled out hand over fist for years for the privilege of having a massive, failed project like Dounreay on its hands, and why should we continue to shell out for this dome? This could be one six-figure sum too far.

Some people will want to hang on to it as some sort of beacon to science or whatever.

But if it has to be kept, then it should be kept as an absolutely wonderful monument to a monumental folly. I would see Dounreay as the king of the follies, and the dome could remind us of the absolute craziness of the entire Dounreay project.

If it was kept it would also serve to remind people of the extent to which the land is contaminated and will remain contaminated for effectively the rest of time.

• Lorraine Mann is the convener of Scotland Against Nuclear Dumping