LARGE swathes of Scotland could be submerged underwater in less than 30 years, according to a climate change study.
Glasgow Airport, the Old Course at St Andrews and the Kelpies in Falkirk are among the key sites that could be flooded, if research by Climate Central is correct.
The organisation is made up of leading scientists and journalists who research climate change and its impact on the public.
It has created an interactive map, using current projections to show which areas of the country could be lost to rising sea levels by 2050.
Here, we look at what areas in Scotland could be lost according to the study.
Greater Glasgow and the west coast
On the west coast, the tourist-hotspot of the Largs coastline will be completely underwater, if the predictions play true – with Nardini’s and the Ferry Terminal both being hit.
Cumbrae doesn’t bare much better, with large chunks of coastline predicted to be gone in just a few decades.
The same can be said in Ardrossan, with the ferry terminal, Asda and the entire south beach submerged.
Saltcoats Harbour is also predicted to be badly hit, reaching as far inland as the train station.
Irvine faces a similar fate, with only areas more inland than their station also remaining unscathed.
And in Ayr, key landmarks like the Racecourse and Somerset Park remain safe, but the popular beachfront, Wellington School and Newton-on-Ayr station would all be submerged.
In Glasgow, the study predicts a widening of the River Clyde, with it’s riverbank completely changing.
Glasgow Airport would be submerged under the rising water, with Braehead Shopping Centre and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital also at risk.
The SEC and Science Centre would also be entirely consumed by the water.
Moving west, the structural integrity of the Erskine Bridge would be brought into question, meanwhile the Titan Crane and West College Scotland campus in Clydebank could be lost.
The study suggests that nearly the entirety of Dumbarton could be lost to the Leven, with the coastline in Helensburgh also near decimated.
Across the Clyde, Greenock’s shorefront has taken a battering under the predictions.
The Waterfront and Esplanade would be unrecognisable, with Cappielow Park only narrowly missing being flooded.
Stirling, Alloa, Falkirk, Fife and Dundee
If the climate change predictions come true, the entirety of Grangemouth and much of Falkirk would be lost beneath the tidal waters of the Forth.
The Kelpies would become seahorses, while the entire shoreline would be redrawn.
Heading north towards Alloa, the structural integrity of the Clackmannanshire Bridge would be put into question within 30 years, with the study predicting it would be hit by the rising sea levels.
In Alloa itself, much of the main town centre would remain unscathed, if the study bares true, with places like the rugby club and Alloa Inch completely disappearing.
A similar story could be told for Stirling. While much of the integrity of the town centre is safe, the iconic Wallace Monument faces being consumed by the rising waters.
The study also estimates that the Kincardine Bridge would be submerged, as will most of the town.
The strength of the Forth Bridges will also be put into question, with rising waters predicted to hit North Queensferry, Burntisland, Kinghorn and the shoreline of Kirkcaldy.
Further north, the historic Old Course at St Andrews would be lost to history, if the study plays true.
And in Dundee, the V&A museum, the railway station, airport and the Tay Road Bridge are all in line to be hit by 2050.
Edinburgh and East Lothian
The centre of Edinburgh remains fairly unscathed in the predictions, with Leith taking the brunt of the hit, according to the study.
The usually busy Portbello beach will likely look completely changed if the study fairs true, meanwhile further south Mussleburgh faces having a vast chunk of its land removed.
There, the race course and golf courses look set to be unwater.
North Berwick, Belhaven, Dunbar and the Torness Nuclear Power Station all look at risk.
South Scotland
Across the Borders, coastal towns like St Abbs and Eyemouth face a treacherous future, according to the study, with Eyemouth harbour and beach facing being overrun with water.
All areas inland face an easier time of it.
Over on the East coast, areas like Annan, Gretna, Stranraer and Cairnryan will also have a completely different coastline.
Aberdeenshire, Highlands and the North
Increasing sea levels would cause havoc for the likes of Montrose, with vast swathes of housing being covered by the rising waters by 2050 – according to the study.
Dunnottar Castle would also be at risk – however the predictions suggest that Aberdeen itself would remain mostly unharmed.
A different story is said for Inverness, however, with the entire north of the city being covered in the rising water levels, according to the study.
Across the Highlands, small patches of land near the coast are predicted to be hit.
Meanwhile in the Hebrides, vast swathes of land on the west coast are predicted to be underwater, wiping out a large area of the islands.
However, Climate Central admits the calculations that have led to fears of a nightmare scenario include "some error".
It says: "These maps incorporate big datasets, which always include some error. These maps should be regarded as screening tools to identify places that may require deeper investigation of risk."
The maps have been based on "global-scale datasets for elevation, tides and coastal flood likelihoods" and "imperfect data is used".
Somewhat comfortingly, Climate Central adds: "Our approach makes it easy to map any scenario quickly and reflects threats from permanent future sea-level rise well.
"However, the accuracy of these maps drops when assessing risks from extreme flood events.
"Our maps are not based on physical storm and flood simulations and do not take into account factors such as erosion, future changes in the frequency or intensity of storms, inland flooding, or contributions from rainfall or rivers."
But it adds: "Improved elevation data indicate far greater global threats from sea level rise and coastal flooding than previously thought and thus greater benefits from reducing their causes."
It should be noted that these are only projections.
You can view the full map here.
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