SCOTTISH Secretary Alistair Carmichael says he will urge Cabinet colleagues not to lecture Scots on independence during visits north of the Border.

The Orkney and Shetland MP said UK Government ministers should spend longer in Scotland and "be prepared to learn" more about issues facing the country.

Mr Carmichael, who was prom-oted to the Cabinet on Monday, spoke out during his first day in the job in Scotland. His words followed criticism of Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, who this week launched a Whitehall report on the defence implications of independence during an hour-long visit to an Edinburgh company.

Mr Carmichael said: "No one in the UK should see Scotland as a no-go zone, but I will tell Cabinet colleagues in terms that when they come to Scotland it has to be seen as more than a lecture tour.

"They need to see how things are done here and be prepared to listen."

He said UK ministers' engagement with Scotland should be "substantial and meaningful".

Mr Hammond launched the Government report - which claimed creating new armed forces in an independent Scotland would be costly and time-consuming - on Tuesday morning. He returned to London immediately.

Scottish Government Veterans Minister Keith Brown said at the time: "It's typical - fly in to deliver a speech and a couple of hours later rush back to London."

Mr Carmichael said he believed the independence referendum was "necessary" to resolve an issue that had dominated Scottish politics.

He added: "The referendum when it comes surely has to be a once in a lifetime event.

"If the vote is Yes it will definitely be a once in a lifetime event.

"If No those who propose the case for independence must, for the sake of us all, be prepared to accept the result and accept the view of the Scottish people."

Warning against complaceny on the part of the pro-UK campaign, which leads in the polls, he added: "Until the votes are counted it is entirely possible that Scotland could vote for independence. I am not going to downplay that risk.

"One of the biggest dangers on our side is to begin to think we have got it in the bag.

"A vote only counts when it is in the ballot box. That is a message not just for campaigners but people themselves.

"How would you feel if you woke up living in an independent Scotland because you thought someone else would go and vote to stay in the UK."

Mr Carmichael visited the Engine Shed in Edinburgh, a social enterprise for people with learning disabilities.