CLIMATE change could cause “catastrophic” damage to Scotland’s historic buildings unless work is done to protect them from warmer and wetter weather, experts have warned.

The 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 1998, causing Scottish sea levels to rise by 3-4mm a year in the last 20 years.

Overall rainfall has increased by moe than a quarter and in the north and west of Scotland winter precipitation is now 70pc higher than in 1960.

Now Historic Environment Scotland has warned the country’s traditional buildings could be at greater risk of damaging events such as flooding, insect infestation, storms, damp, mould, rot, decay, shifting foundations, warping and cracking.

It has produced a guide, in partnership with charity organisation Adaptation Scotland, to help homeowners and businesses make their properties more resilient.

The guide, entitled Climate Change Adaptation For Traditional Buildings, states: “Where older structures have not been well maintained, extremes of wind and rain will accelerate the decay of worn or weakened elements resulting in gradual or sometimes catastrophic failure.

“Continued neglect can lead to structural movement and eventual failure; this is seen occasionally in the collapse of chimney stacks or the failure of large sections of masonry such as gable ends.”

It adds: “Scotland has always experienced severe weather, and most traditional buildings were designed and built sufficiently robustly to cope with the climate.

“However, some buildings that have functioned perfectly well for many years may become less able to cope with changing weather patterns caused by climate change.

“Often buildings have been poorly maintained or altered in such a way as to increase their vulnerability to severe weather. Maintenance and repair are the first steps.

The latest report comes after WWF Scotland director Lang Banks had warned ministers had to do more to address climate change.

He said: “Scotland should instead be playing to its natural advantages in clean, green renewable energy and capitalising on the jobs, climate benefits and health improvements a zero-carbon future can deliver.”

The guide provides information, advice and good practice and also demonstrates how traditional buildings can be improved or adapted to better deal with the wetter winters brought by climate change.

Scotland has about 450,000 traditionally constructed buildings, many of which are in use today as private homes, offices and public buildings.

The guide features examples of work carried out in Scotland, including details on churches and how the addition of a new chimney cope and a traditional render on a Shetland building helped resolve a long-standing water ingress issue.

Roger Curtis, technical research manager at Historic Environment Scotland, said: “Our climate has already changed over the past 50 years and we expect that further change is inevitable.”