Nicola Sturgeon has been urged by local Conservative candidate Jamie Greene to "face reality" and admit that her case for separation is "broken" after figures revealed huge gaps between the economies of Scotland and the rest of the UK.
The Scottish Government previously claimed every Scot would be £500 better in the event of a Yes vote, largely based on healthy oil revenues.
Official Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) figures released this week showed a starkly contrasting scenario, revealing that an independent Scotland would start life with a £15 billion deficit.
Ms Sturgeon has refused to accept that the case for independence is dead, saying that critics of the SNP were merely "talking Scotland down" and telling her party spring conference in Glasgow that a renewed case for independence would set out this summer.
The Cunninghame North Conservative candidate said "It's now time for the SNP to face reality and accept that the economic case for independence is dead. The SNP prospectus for separation is broken – the party knew it then and knows it now.
The Scottish Conservatives stood up and repeatedly warned about the volatility of oil prices, this week's GERS figures made it quite clear that we dodged a bullet by voting No in 2014. We should be thanking each and every one of Scotland's two million people who voted to stay part of the UK, in particular I thank the NO voters in North Ayrshire. The SNP would do well to acknowledge those voters’ role in safeguarding Scotland's economic health. It’s time for our elected Nationalist members of Holyrood to get on with proper governance and stop distracting voters with ideological talk of independence."