Nicola Sturgeon has insisted she is "not going to meekly throw in the towel" as she fights to keep Scotland in the European Union (EU).
Following last week's shock UK Brexit vote, the First Minister told MSPs at Holyrood that the Conservatives, who called the referendum, have "recklessly brought this country to the brink of disaster".
She blasted Prime Minister David Cameron and other UK Government ministers, saying it was "unforgivable" that they did "no planning" for the prospect of a vote to leave the EU.
Ms Sturgeon also appeared to hint the Scottish Government could take the highly-unusual step of publishing some of the legal advice it receives as she bids to "lead the country forward in as open and as transparent and as frank a way possible".
While the UK as a whole voted to leave the EU in last Thursday's referendum, almost two-thirds of Scottish voters backed staying in - a result which prompted Ms Sturgeon to warn almost immediately afterwards that another independence referendum is "highly likely".
Amid the ongoing constitutional turmoil, Ms Sturgeon stressed her "first principle" in talks will be to "seek to give effect to the democratic will of the Scottish people that was expressed in the referendum last week".
The First Minister said: "My position is very clear - I want to give effect to what Scotland voted for. I don't want us to be ripped out of the European Union against our will."
She added: "I am not prepared as First Minister simply to ignore how people in Scotland voted last week.
"I'm not prepared to shrug my shoulders and simply accept that a Tory government that we didn't even vote for here in Scotland can drag us out of the European Union against our will, and I think a majority of people here in Scotland agree with that position."
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