Power comes in many forms, not all obvious. How do we decide who has the most?

These are the 100 most powerful and influential people in Scotland.

There will be some names on the list you will recognise instantly, and there will be others you have never heard of, because that's the way power works - sometimes it is held openly, but often it is behind the scenes.

Having new First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at No 1 in the list is probably no surprise; last week she was also named as The Herald's Scottish Politician of the Year.

But fame - or notoriety - is no guarantee of power. There are some very famous Scots who have not made this list.

The 100 names cut across all fields including politics, art, religion and literature and exercise their power in all kinds of ways.

With some, it is the traditional route: through business, the old professions such as law, or the even older method: money. Others have found new ways to be powerful: many of the people on the list have a major presence online; in a few cases, it is digital technology that has made them powerful.

Power can also mean different things. It can mean the power to make political change, but it can also mean the power to influence that change.

There is hard power: the ability to make the change happen quickly and there is soft power: the ability to influence minds and work to a longer strategy.

It is also worth noting that power is always temporary. There will be some Scots, for example, who have been extremely influential and powerful in the last year as the country prepared for the referendum, but now their influence has all but gone. There are also some people on the list who are powerful only by virtue of their job title one day, someone new will have their power.

The list was drawn up by a panel of The Herald's specialist editors and writers chaired by Magnus Llewellin, the editor of The Herald. The judges were business editor Ian McConnell, arts editor Keith Bruce, political editor Magnus Gardham, literary editor Rosemary Goring, food writer Cate Devine, sports editor Donald Cowey, Sunday Herald opinion editor Susan Flockhart, and columnist Iain Macwhirter.

Obviously drawing up a list like this is an inexact science - there are elements of the parlour game about it. But we think this is a good reflection of those who hold power in modern Scotland.

We would also like to know what you think. For example: there are 30 women on the list: is that enough, and is it likely to change? Is there someone who you think has been wrongly left off the list?

Give us your view by commenting below. Usual forum rules apply.

Scotland's Power100 1-10
Scotland's Power100 11-20
Scotland's Power100 21-30
Scotland's Power100 31-40
Scotland's Power100 41-50
Scotland's Power100 51-60
Scotland's Power100 61-70
Scotland's Power100 71-80
Scotland's Power100 81-90
Scotland's Power100 91-100

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