NICOLA Sturgeon has told independence supporters there is "no logic" in trying to trigger a second referendum by voting to leave the EU.
In a candid appeal, she said Yes supporters could undermine the case for a swift re-run of the 2014 poll by backing Brexit on Thursday.
The First Minister also insisted the Scottish Government must be involved in Brexit negotiations if the UK opts to leave the Brussels bloc, during an interview on Sky News's Murnaghan programme.
Ms Sturgeon has campaigned strongly for a Remain vote.
However, she has also promised to consider calling a second independence referendum if Scotland votes to stay in the EU but faces being removed as a result of a leave vote across the UK as a whole.
Her new plea came amid growing concerns that many independence supporters will vote tactically to Leave the EU on the basis of the pledge.
It is feared that with polls showing higher support for staying in the EU in Scotland than the rest of the UK, some Yes campaigners will take Scotland's verdict for granted and use their own votes to boost the UK-wide tally for Brexit.
Asked if independence supporters might be tempted to vote Leave or abstain on Thursday in the hope of securing an independence referendum, Ms Sturgeon said: "No, there’s no logic to that at all. "My vote to remain on Thursday will not be driven by considerations about what it means for an independent Scotland.
"You know I believe in an independent Scotland but my vote for remain will be about many other reasons.
"But what I’m saying to people who perhaps support independence, who are considering a vote on Thursday based on what they think it means for Scottish independence, if Scotland votes Leave then that premise for independence isn’t there."
She added: "If Scotland votes to remain and faces being taken out of Europe against our will then yes, I think the option of a second independence referendum has to be on the table for consideration but that argument is not there if Scotland also votes to leave.
"If Scotland votes to leave and there is a leave vote across the whole of the UK then our immediate future is Scotland in the UK, out of Europe, facing a UK government led by the likes of Boris Johnson that if it is possible to believe this would be even more right wing than that led by David Cameron and George Osborne.
"That’s not the sort of situation I want to see arise, so if that’s your consideration as an independence supporter, then the only logical thing to do is to vote remain."
Asked whether Scottish officials should be involved in any talks to withdraw from the EU, she said: "Absolutely, Scotland’s voice would have to be heard and heard directly, in those circumstances I am very clear about that.
"But you know in a very strong sense these are discussions for after Thursday and I hope they are discussions that don’t have to happen."
Jim Sillars, the former SNP deputy leader and the most prominent Nationalist campaigning for a Leave vote, said backing Brexit in Scotland would not jeopardise the chance of a second independence referendum.
He said Ms Sturgeon did not have a mandate for a referendum and without a majority at Holyrood was "powerless" to deliver one.
He said: "Nicola Sturgeon’s claim that a Brexit vote will speed up a second referendum, does not fit the facts.
"The next referendum can only come about if she wins the 2021 election, which is the earliest point that the essential mandate can be sought.
"In that context, a vote today in 2016 for Leave or Remain has no bearing whatsoever on when Scotland will get its second chance at independence."
Campaigning in Scotland is set to resume after a three day halt called as a mark of respect to Jo Cox, the MP brutally slain on Thursday.
John Edward, spokesman for the official Remain campaign group Scotland Stronger In Europe, said: "Our approach in the last few days will be to stress that there is absolutely everything to play for as the UK polls indicate it is too close to call, and so every vote counts and Scotland can make the difference.
"There is a very real possibility that Scotland’s votes could make the difference for Remain and that is a very powerful message."
The campaign is tailoring its message to different sections of the electorate with 11 different versions of the official letter it is allowed to post out under the referendum rules.
In addition, a spokesman said 36,000 volunteers would be leafleting homes across the country.
Some 450,000 Scots have also been contacted in an online campaign.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel