Air passengers heading for Scotland could require a negative covid test within 72 hours of departure or they will be barred from flying.
The bold policy is being considered as part of a UK-wide plan to toughen up travel restrictions and slow the spread of coronavirus.
A new strain of covid has been blamed for a huge spike in case numbers in recent weeks which has led to Scotland being placed in another national lockdown.
Plans being drawn up by Downing Street will see travellers being told they must have a negative PCR test within 72 hours before they are allowed on a flight to Britain.
The rules will be in place in all countries regardless of whether travel corridors are in place, and could be in place as soon as Friday.
Border controls are reserved to Westminster but Nicola Sturgeon has already called for urgent talks on tougher travel restrictions to halt the rampant spread of mutated Covid-19.
The First Minister raised concerns while pressure grows on the UK Government to sort out long-standing problems with border protection and quarantine.
Passenger numbers have slumped at Scottish airports in recent months following a brief revival in the tourism industry over the summer months.
But airport chiefs are braced for a sudden rush of Scots heading for home if tougher travel restrictions are in place.
UK Home Secretary Priti Patel was last night accused of leaving the “doors unlocked” to new variants of the killer virus.
Labour's shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds wrote to Patel calling for an 'urgent review and improvement plan' as he raised concerns over checks on arrivals.
He claimed as few as three per cent of passenger arrivals in England were subsequently being traced to check if they were sticking to self-isolation rules - a figure disputed by the Home Office.
SNP MP Joanna Cherry has also written to the Home Secretary to raise concerns over a lack of action on international travel.
The party's home affairs spokeswoman said Westminster must bring the UK into line with other countries, where tighter measures are being placed on travel in response to coronavirus.
When asked how many air passengers were being checked to see if they were following existing quarantine laws, a Scottish Government spokesman told the Record: “100% of those requiring to quarantine are contacted by email.
"The latest statistics on quarantine were published on December 23.
"These show that Public Health Scotland made successful follow-up contact with 30,995 returning travellers, which is 17 per cent of those requiring to quarantine.”
