Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has put forward proposals to grant the Erskine Bridge the same A-list status as other protected national landmarks such as Edinburgh Castle.

The need for a bridge to replace the Erskine Ferry on the Clyde was established before the Second World War.

But the project didn’t become a reality until the 1960s, and when the 1,322m structure was opened in 1971 by Princess Anne, it was the longest cable-stayed span of its type in the world.

HES said: “The Bridge was a state-of-the-art infrastructure landmark for its time and remains one of the country’s most architecturally and technically distinguished bridges of the post-war period and beyond its date of construction.”