There was a 20 per cent increase in output from the Scottish construction industry over the past year, according to new figures published by the Office of National Statistics.

The figures, spanning June 2014-June 2015, have been warmly welcomed by the Scottish Building Federation.

The industry’s total output value increased to more than £13 billion, with output rising across all sectors of the industry - including a 60 per cent rise in the value of infrastructure and a 29 per cent increase in public sector new work other than housing and infrastructure.

Vaughan Hart, managing director of the Scottish Building Federation, said: “It is obviously good news that output from the Scottish construction sector has hit a new high over the past year.

“However, as we have pointed out before, employment within the industry remains a long way below pre-recession levels and the industry is facing increasingly critical skills shortages across many trades.

“Our members also continue to advise us that operating margins remain extremely tight.

“Against the backdrop of these record output figures, our absolute priority must be to attract more people back into the industry, to rebuild skills and capacity and put the industry’s recovery on a sustainable long-term footing.”