Image copyright The Scottish Government Image caption The first minister's Christmas card highlights global warming

A drawing by singer Annie Lennox highlighting the impact of global warming has been unveiled as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's Christmas card.

The card, which shows a polar bear on top of a melting glacier, is an original piece by the musician.

An auction of the image will be held next year with the proceeds going to three charities.

Ms Sturgeon praised the work by the multiple-Grammy winner.

She said: "I am thrilled to have such a beautiful and eye-catching picture for my Christmas card this year.

"Annie Lennox has done a fantastic job at making the card feel festive while also reinforcing an extremely important message which is relevant all year round.

"We must continue to live up to our responsibility to tackle the global climate emergency. It is not too late to turn things around, but to do so will require transformative, collective change."

Melting glacier

Ms Lennox, who is best known as one half of pop duo Eurythmics, said: "I'm absolutely delighted and honoured to have been invited to design the 2019 Christmas card for Scotland's first minister.

"Climate emergency is the most prescient issue for the sustainability of our planet so I wanted to use the image of a stranded polar bear balancing upon a melting glacier.

"While the drawing looks to all intents and purposes like a classic children's storybook illustration, this is actually what's taking place in the real world. Perilously so."

Ms Lennox said she was "most heartened" that the first minister fully endorses the message behind her Christmas card.

The charities that will benefit from the card are the Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis Centre, the Marine Conservation Society and the Friends of Victoria and Whyteman's Brae Hospitals.