Scots currently stranded in the Middle East have expressed their fear and concern following a joint US and Israeli strike on Iran.
The situation in the region has escalated significantly after the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an attack on Saturday.
Missile and drone strikes were launched after talks concerning Iran's nuclear program collapsed.
In retaliation, Iran conducted a series of rocket and missile attacks targeting neighbouring countries.
Experiences from Dubai
Felicity Flanagan, an Edinburgh native working as a primary school teacher in Dubai, was at the beach with friends when she heard "two or three loud bangs".
"Moments later we actually saw what we believed to be shrapnel from a missile fall into the water in front of us," she told BBC Scotland News.
"It was at that point that I picked up my phone. I had multiple text messages from my boyfriend and a phone call from my brother, and I think it was at that moment that we realised something was definitely really wrong."
After returning home, Felicity described how her boyfriend and his work colleague took shelter in the bathroom.
"We got a text message from the government with a loud siren through our phones warning us to stay sheltered, but also to stay away from windows," she added.
Living with Uncertainty in Qatar
Caitlyn Chalmers, from Kilbirnie in North Ayrshire, has been living in Doha, Qatar's capital, for 10 years, working as a teacher.
"The apartment block I live in shook as missiles were intercepted right above our heads," said the 34-year-old.
"You don't know what to do for the best. It's just a feeling of helplessness.
"The days just feel like they're just going on and on and on, and you're just waiting for that next explosion."
Caitlyn lives with her two rescue dogs, Chance and Brea, and is concerned about the possibility of evacuation if the conflict worsens.
"For me, the most important thing is my dogs and they're not fit to fly yet. They need some blood tests and even if I started the process now, the bloods need to be sent overseas and the airspace is closed.
"I just won't board the plane and some people might say it's stupid, other people might understand, but for me these dogs are my family."
Waiting Amid Flight Disruptions in the UAE
Leanne Baikie from Orkney has been residing in the United Arab Emirates for three years, working as cabin crew for Emirates Airlines.
"I got back to Dubai yesterday morning after working on a flight back to Milan and I woke up from a nap to find all this news and information and messages about the attack starting," she said.
Leanne noted that receiving updates from her employer regarding flight disruptions helped her feel somewhat reassured.
"You've kind of got a little heads-up to know what's going on," she added.
Leanne is currently hosting her friend Shannon Whiting, who had planned to fly home on Wednesday, while Leanne's parents were also scheduled to visit the same day.
"We've been told that flights are cancelled till 3pm tomorrow, but it's literally just a kind of a waiting game."
Concerns of a Visitor Unable to Return Home
Shannon, who had been visiting Leanne in Dubai for approximately six weeks, was due to return to work at a unisex hair salon in Kirkwall.
"Now I don't know if I'm going to get home. I have no idea if I'm going to be able to service the customers," she said.
"It's a bit of a disaster in that sense. But what can you do, you know? So long as everybody's safe and well, I think that's all that matters."
She shared that she has received numerous messages from worried friends and family back in Scotland, who mistakenly believe Dubai has been locked down.
"People are still going about their normal lives," Shannon explained. "Things haven't been closed down… but that's not necessarily being shown on the news.
"They're only seeing the worst parts, and people are terrified back home and don't understand maybe why we are going out to the shops or going out for dinner just to try and enjoy some normal life while we are relatively safe in comparison to other countries right now."
Stranded in Australia After Flight Cancellation
Roddy Graham, a deputy head teacher from the Borders, and his partner Claire Long were visiting relatives in Australia with their 10-week-old son, Finn. They were scheduled to fly home on Saturday night.
"We went to get our flight, which was at 22:30, and we arrived at the airport at 19:30, and literally two minutes after we arrived at the airport, our flight was cancelled and everything shut down. It's been really, really tricky to get in touch with people since."
Roddy said they initially had difficulty contacting their airline but managed to book another flight for Wednesday, though he remains doubtful it will proceed.
"I'm not confident at all," he said. "It's still going by Dubai, so the chances are looking very slim."
The family has since booked an additional flight with a different airline as a backup.
"It goes by Hong Kong and then London and then on to Glasgow — so it'll be a long 28-hour flight with a newborn child, which is not something that we'd planned for."
