Doubts have been voiced that the spending bonanza will last

The latest Scottish Retail Sales Monitor has revealed sales last month were up almost 5% on May last year.

The figures suggest many consumers still have not noticed their mortgages have gone up.

Good weather meant healthy sales of summer goods and Scots were more likely to spend money on games and DVDs than people in other parts of the UK.

Some food and drink shops said it had been the best month of the year so far.

Such heady growth cannot be sustained, certainly not from domestic consumers. Jeremy Peat Economist

Scottish Retail Consortium director Fiona Moriarty said: "Retail sales picked up in May, despite speculation about interest rates.

"The weather was extremely good and as people spent time in the sun, they spent money on things to do in the sun."

However, one of Scotland's leading economists said the high street bonanza cannot be sustained.

Jeremy Peat, from the Royal Bank of Scotland, believes the effect of the two recent increases in interest rates will soon be felt.

He said: "Such heady growth cannot be sustained, certainly not from domestic consumers.