And this week the local authority refused to reveal schools involved, despite repeated requests from the Highland News.

The shock figure is revealed in documents being issued by the council to firms for "asbestos management" in 197 schools across the region and has worried politicians and a health campaigner.

Work on the contract is due to start this month with completion next April. But details highlight that full asbestos surveys are only currently available for only 74 schools in the Highlands.

Of the rest, 65 have had no surveys whatsoever while 58 have only had partial surveys carried out.

In Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, nine schools have no surveys, 21 partial and 24 full surveys.

In Ross and Cromarty, there are no records for 16 schools with 15 partial and 20 full surveys.

The situation is worst in Lochaber, Skye and Lochalsh. Twenty-six schools are without surveys, three had partial surveys and 20 had full asbestos surveys.

The council refused to name the schools with partial or no surveys, and claims to be now treating the HN requests under the Freedom of Information Act.

The situation has been criticised by leading campaigner Michael Lees, who has addressed parliamentary committees on the issue of asbestos in schools since the death of his wife Gina in 2000.

She died of mesothelioma, a form of cancer, caused by her exposure to asbestos in schools when she was a teacher.

He explained although by law the council has a legal duty to manage the risk from asbestos in all its buildings, it is not legally bound to carry out the surveys and claimed they were not mandatory simply because of the costs involved.

Mr Lees has raised the issue with the Health and Safety Executive.

He said: "It is unacceptable that no survey records have been found for 65 schools and only partial ones for a further 58.

"Although this is within the law, it is bad practice not to have a thorough asbestos survey. Without knowing what asbestos is there, a school cannot manage their asbestos."

Asbestos has been an long-running issue at Wick High School and in recent months there have been asbestos scares at Nairn Academy and Kingussie High School.

In March, contractors at Nairn Academy disturbed artex which contained asbestos in the ceilings and seven classrooms in the upper school had to be closed for several weeks.

Mr Lees said if surveys have not been carried out, it means that all walls, ceilings and floors must be presumed to contain asbestos unless there is positive proof that they do not.

He also pointed to a Scottish Government survey of schools last year which placed 124 schools as in poor condition and a further seven in bad condition.

Nairn Academy, which was one of the schools subject to an asbestos scare earlier this year.

He claimed: "As the schools have not been properly maintained their condition has deteriorated and inevitably so has the condition of any asbestos materials used in their construction, and yet the school authorities in more than a third of the schools have no idea whether or not they contain asbestos and no idea whether it is deteriorating or not.

"Without knowing that basic information, the authorities cannot claim that the schools are safe."

Highland SNP MSP David Thompson said it was worrying that no surveys existed for some schools, but he was pleased the council was now going out to tender.

"If the council finds serious risk from asbestos, I hope it will move quickly to remove this material from schools."

Tory health spokesperson and Highland MSP Mary Scanlon was also shocked by the figures and said parents and school staff placed their trust in the council to provide a safe and healthy environment.

"The worrying thing about mesothelioma is that it can take decades between exposure to asbestos and the development of this cancer which has been found in many people who worked in the mining and shipbuilding industry."

Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP Charles Kennedy explained that risks can be kept very low where staff are aware of correct procedures and material which could contain asbestos is left undisturbed.

"The gradual availability of more and better information about the asbestos threat is precisely what will protect today's young people from the terrible health effects which older generations have experienced from prolonged exposure to airborne asbestos when the consequences were not understood," he said.

A spokesman for teachers' union the Educational Institute of Scotland said it welcomed the fact the council is taking long overdue steps to comply with Health and Safety law.

"The safety of pupils and teachers in schools should always be a top priority for all councils," he added.

A council spokesman said the authority had a large property portfolio and many of its buildings were constructed at a time when asbestos was a common building material.

"The council, like most others, faces a significant challenge in managing the risks of asbestos in its buildings and we follow Health and Safety Executive guidance on the control and management of asbestos where we know it exists," he said.

"The council is investing significant resources in improving our survey data and our control systems.

"We have rigorous procedures in place to identify and assess the risks of asbestos disturbance before any works are carried out.

"The removal of asbestos from all properties is not a practical proposition on the grounds of safety and cost.

"We are therefore working to survey and put asbestos management plans in place for each of our buildings which ensure that asbestos containing materials are not disturbed and that building users are not exposed to any safety risks."

d.wilson@highland-news.co.uk

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