Nicola Sturgeon is now the most loved person amongst Scots, according to a new poll

The First Minister and leader of the SNP is the ‘most popular and widely appreciated living person’ among Scots, according to analysis by YouGov on around 30,000 Scots.

The researchers carried out the analysis over 5,000 famous faces, celebrities and public figures.

Tennis player Andy Murray and comedian Billy Connolly came second and third.

Former SNP Leader and First Minister Alex Salmond came fourth, just ahead of the Queen in fifth.

There are just five Scots in the Top 20, with Sturgeon, Murray, Connolly and Salmond joined by Frankie Boyle ranked at 14th.

On their website, YouGov said: “This is a remarkable feat for a politician – [Sturgeon] outperforms national treasures like David Attenborough and Judi Dench whose careers carry none of the risk for offense or division exemplified by electioneering.”

The Herald:

According to YouGov the top 20, compiled using the ‘ratings’ thousands of Scottish members give to people and brands, is ranked using the ‘number of positive ratings for each individual, multiplied by the total number of ratings for each person, with the margin of error taken out.’ The method is designed to balance proportion of positive feelings towards each celebrity with their ‘reach’.

Topping the list of the top 10 Scottish historical figures is William Wallace with Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicilli, second; Scots-born philanthropist Andrew Carnegie third; first Labour Prime Minister of the UK Ramsay MacDonald  fourth and Robert the Bruce fifth.