Simon Evans, from Cromarty on the Black Isle, was among a group of eight Highland demonstrators who took part in last weekend's protest at the main gate of the Faslane base, home of Scotland's Trident nuclear fleet.

Dr Evans' arrest comes at the start of Faslane 365, a year of civil resistance to Britain's nuclear weapons programme.

Dr Evans, a chest consultant at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, was arrested on Sunday afternoon after he sat in front of the main gates to disrupt workers entering the facility.

Earlier Dr Evans played Bach on the violin outside the base and joined members of the Assynt Peace Group from Sutherland in ceilidh dancing, singing and reciting poetry as part of the peaceful protest.

He spent 22 hours locked up in a cell in Dumbarton Police Station before being released on Monday with a warning letter from the local Procurator Fiscal not to repeat his actions.

Speaking from his home in Braehead this week, Dr Evans (45) said: "This was my first protest at Faslane, although I have taken part in anti-Iraq and anti-Afghanistan protests. I think it's important to take a stance now when the Government is about to decide whether to spend billions of pounds on a new Trident system.

So far the debate has been pretty undemocratic. There has never been a free vote, or even a whipped vote at Westminster and there has never been a debate at the Scottish Parliament as defence is not part of its remit.

"There has been no referendum of the Scottish people and all the decision making has taken no cognisance of the views of the people of Scotland, or even of the UK."

Dr Evans said he did not resist arrest as he did not see any point in that and he praised the police officers for being "disciplined, fair and just doing their job".

But of his incarceration, he said: "It was not pleasant sitting in a cell for 22 hours! It was a pretty dark intimidating place. I was not allowed a toothbrush, watch or even a pillow and you feel terribly grimy."

But he said overall it had been a good experience.

"It was a really positive experience being with committed, interesting people who were all coming at it from different angles," he said.

"There is not a clone of a peace protester - they are all from different backgrounds."

Those arrested from Assynt and also released without charge were Angus John McEwan, Anna Mackay, Andy Sanders, Marianne Hutchison, Catriona MacDonald, Jane Smith and Ellen Moxley.

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