The SNP is guilty of "small-minded nationalist nimbyism" in its opposition to renewing Trident, say the Scottish Conservatives.

Speaking after Monday's vote in parliament to renew Britain's nuclear weapons system, Scottish Tory deputy leader Jackson Carlaw added the SNP's position was "craven hypocrisy" due to its stance on Nato.

In 2012, the SNP voted to support Nato membership for an independent Scotland in the event that Yes won the 2014 referendum, an organisation which contains three nuclear-armed members and supports the option of pre-emptive nuclear strike.

The SNP responded to Carlaw's remarks by saying they were "out of touch", adding the "Tory obsession" with the UK's nuclear arsenal was an embarrassment to the country.

A majority of 335 MPs came out in favour of renewing the UK's nuclear-armed submarine fleet in Monday's vote, which will see the £40bn construction of a new fleet, Successor, begin possibly as early as this year.

Of Scotland's 59 MPs, 58 voted against the renewal, with only Scottish secretary David Mundell voting in favour.

Commenting after the vote, Carlaw said: "The craven hypocrisy of the SNP on this vital matter of national security is staggering.

"On the one hand, the Nationalists express moral outrage over nuclear weapons and are now demanding they are taken 200 miles south.

"On the other, Angus Robertson desperately yearns to have a seat at the table in Nato, which supports a nuclear-first strike.

"In other words, the Nationalists want to be a member of the nuclear-armed club at the same time as demanding that nuclear weapons are expelled from Scotland."

"This isn't serious politics - it is small-minded Nationalist nimbyism. And it demonstrates that the SNP's sole aim here isn't to defend our country, but to divide it."

The Scottish Tory deputy leader added: "Many people hold principled opposition to nuclear weapons. But the SNP's defence policy faces so many ways it is fast becoming a national embarrassment."

The term nimbyism comes from the acronym NIMBY, meaning not in my back yard, which refers to people who campaign against unwanted developments in their neighbourhoods.

Responding to Carlaw's criticisms, the SNP said the Scottish Tories were out of sync with Scottish public opinion.

The party's defence spokesman, Brendan O'Hara MP, said: "Trident is an immoral, obscene and redundant weapons system.

"The real national embarrassment is the Tory obsession with the deadliest nuclear arsenal in history while cutting our defence budget to the bone.

"Trident is a cold war weapon that has one purpose - to eliminate civilian life on a massive scale at a huge cost to the taxpayer.

"Scotland has consistently shown itself to be opposed to the possession of nuclear weapons -- a position taken by the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament, Scotland's MPs, a majority of Scotland's political parties, churches, trade unions and other civic organisations."

O'Hara added: "As usual, it is the Scottish Conservatives who are out of touch."