Major damage has been done to Kilwinning Abbey in what Historic Environment Scotland have described as "a very serious incident of heritage crime".

The damage was done to the 13th century pier of the Abbey, which supports the arched entrance into what used to be the south-west tower.

One of the lower courses of the pier has been completely destroyed, with the badly vandalised stone still lying at the scene of the crime.

Some of the damage at the Abbey this weekSome of the damage at the Abbey this week (Image: Historic Environment Scotland)

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) revealed the damage was discovered by staff earlier this week.

They have now appealed to members of the public for information about the crime.

HES said they were working closely with Police Scotland to investigate the incident.

To avoid any further damage to the pier, a replacement stone will be cut using templates from the neighbouring stones and installed into the void.

Gillian Gardner, physical security senior manager at HES, said: “This is the worst case of heritage crime I have seen in a long time.

"It is heartbreaking to see historic fabric destroyed in this manner.

“As highlighted in our recent campaign with CrimeStoppers and Police Scotland, heritage crime is a serious matter which damages our historic sites and robs us of our history.

"Reckless acts such as this one carry the risk of serious injury to both the perpetrator and anyone else on site.

"Not only is it dangerous, but this kind of vandalism has a knock-on effect on all of our sites, as our conservation specialists are pulled away from their core conservation work on other monuments to tend to these incidents."

Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is being asked to call Police Scotland on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.