Scotland's most senior Catholic cleric is recovering in hospital after suffering a heart attack.

Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, 64, was taken to hospital last night after falling ill in the Spanish city of Salamanca, where Scottish bishops have gathered for their annual winter meeting in Royal Scots College.

A spokesman for the Archdiocese of Glasgow said that the Archbishop is conscious and in good spirits.

It is understood that the Archbishop became concerned about his health after feeling unwell and asked to be taken to hospital.

He was taken to the city's University hospital and, after initial treatment and tests were carried out, doctors confirmed that he had suffered a heart attack.

The spokesman said: "The Archbishop today is conscious and in good spirits has been visited by other Scots bishops attending the meeting.

"The Archbishop will remain in hospital in Spain until he is well enough to return home.

"Further medical updates will be released if any change in the Archbishop's condition takes place."

A well-placed source stressed that Archbishop Tartaglia was "not at death's door" and that he was sitting up in bed and did not require intensive care after his arrival at the hospital.

Catholic parishes in the Archdiocese of Glasgow have been informed of the Archbishop's illness and special prayers will be said this weekend throughout the Archdiocese for his recovery.

Formerly the Bishop of Paisley, he was installed as Archbishop of Glasgow in September 2012 following the retirement of Archbishop Mario Conti.

Earlier this month he led a joint requiem mass for three members of the same family who died in the Glasgow bin lorry crash.

He also spoke at a memorial mass in the days immediately after the tragedy in which six people were killed.

Archbishop Tartaglia told Glasgow's St Andrew's Cathedral that the city was "reeling from this latest sad and sudden tragedy''.

He was at the centre of a memorial service held to remember the 10 people who died in the Clutha helicopter crash in Glasgow in November 2013.

Born in Glasgow on in 1951, he was ordained as a priest by the late Archbishop Thomas Winning in the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Dennistoun, in 1975 and was appointed assistant priest at Our Lady of Lourdes, Cardonald in 1980

In 1980 he became a visiting lecturer at St. Peter's College, Newlands, Glasgow. A year later, he was appointed lecturer at St. Peter's College, Newlands, becoming Director of Studies in 1983.

When Chesters College, Bearsden, opened in 1985, he was made Vice-Rector and was appointed Rector in 1987, a role he remained in until 1993 when he was sent to St. Patrick's, Dumbarton, as Assistant Priest. He became the Parish Priest of St. Mary's, Duntocher in 1995.

In 2004, the Bishops' Conference asked him to return to seminary as Rector of the Pontifical Scots College, Rome.

He has a brother, Canon Gerry Tartaglia, who is parish Priest of St Margaret's and Our Holy Redeemer Parishes in Clydebank.