Dramatic growth has seen the number of supermarkets in Scotland double in the past decade to more than 400, with a further 30 stores currently in the pipeline.

Analysis carried out by The Herald has found that the number of superstores owned by the eight major supermarket chains surged from 206 to 408 between 2000 and 2009.

The driving force behind the remarkable expansion has been Tesco, which has more than doubled its Scottish presence since 2000 by building 44 new stores.

Its branches now cover the furthest reaches of Scotland, from the Western Isles and Shetland to Castle Douglas and Dumfries.

Discounter Lidl has also enjoyed a phenomenal rise. It owns 89 stores, three times the number it had in 2000, while Morrisons, Asda and Somerfield all have at least 60% more supermarkets than a decade ago.

Sainsbury’s has the lowest market share of the recognised major players with 28 branches, but with 14 planning applications on the go it has the most aggressive expansion strategy.

Supermarkets are now fighting over the last remaining towns in the Highlands following saturation of the Central Belt and major cities.

While the superstores have created jobs and increased choice for shoppers, the corporate grip on the retail sector has left farmers struggling for survival and led to a loss of livelihoods for independent retailers.

Leigh Sparks, professor of retail studies at Stirling University, said: “The rise of supermarkets in Scotland over the past 10 years has been dramatic and has transformed the face of Scottish food retailing.

“Before 1995, Scotland was very much the forgotten corner of Great Britain with relatively low supermarket penetration.

“However, Tesco’s victory that year in an intense bidding battle with Sainsbury’s to buy William Low, the last major Scottish chain food store, has triggered a supermarket explosion.”

The victims of the march of the supermarkets have inevitably been small independent stores and Scotland’s agricultural sector is also under threat, according to the National Farmers’ Union.

John Drummond, chief executive of the Scottish Grocers’ Federation, said: “The supermarkets are now using their clout to target smaller towns in Scotland. They claim to create jobs but ultimately they decimate independent stores and displace jobs in the town centres.”