NEWSREADER Fiona Armstrong has admitted to hiding her Scottish connections after they led to her being insulted.

The Dumfriesshire-based broadcaster, who became Lady MacGregor after marrying clan chieftain Sir Malcolm in 2005, now conceals her domicile when in England due to the increasingly acrimonious debate over independence.

She said: "This month, I've worked in London, Manchester and Yorkshire, and I've stopped telling taxi drivers where I live.

"'Oh, the north,' I say rather vaguely as I rifle in my handbag for one of those elusive, non-toxic Scottish £10 notes. Otherwise I'll be sure to get an earful of abuse."

The 55-year-old, who travels the globe promoting Scottish culture at Highland games and gatherings, claimed she was harangued over the issue of Scottish independence at a recent funeral at which she wore a tartan suit.

The Preston-born former ITN anchorwoman, who has lived in Scotland for 25 years, told how her family had expressed hostility over the drift towards independence.

She said: "My mother is sick of the Scots, too. She lives in the north of England and believes that every spare pound that the Chancellor has bypasses Cumbria and Northumberland and goes straight across the Border to pay for roads, bridges and hospitals.

"Many people in England tell me they're beginning to think they could manage quite nicely without their northern neighbours."

The part-time BBC News 24 presenter has called for the heat to be taken out of the debate over the country's future.

Writing in a field sports magazine, Armstrong added: "I'm not sure my nerves can stand much more and there are still more than two years to go."

Ms Armstrong recently described the BBC's decision to re-hire her as a "token" gesture towards showing more mature female broadcasters on screen. She was hired along with Julia Somerville, 62, at the same time as Zeinab Badawi and Carole Walker, then both 50, in 2009.