THOSE who argue Scotland would fare better as an independent nation on the world stage are "wrong on each and every count," Foreign Secretary William Hague has insisted.

He said after a speech in Edinburgh attended by consuls from other nations: "I believe those who say Scotland would be better going it alone with foreign policy are deeply misguided. They claim the UK's foreign policy and overseas representation is focused too much on status and power and not enough, for example, on trade and investment.

"They argue that our extensive overseas network is merely a legacy of empire, rather than something that serves the interests of the UK's citizens and they say Scotland's core interests will be better served as a separate state.

"They are wrong on each and every count."

The Foreign Secretary said Scotland had trade offices in 18 countries, many of them in British embassy buildings, working alongside British diplomats. Scotland also had access to UK Trade and Investment, which has more than 1000 staff in over 100 countries and helped more than 500 Scottish companies to export last year alone.

The success of whisky has also been helped by access to British work overseas, he said. Reduced access to the global network would also put Scots abroad at a disadvantage, he claimed.

He was equally dismissive of the Yes campaign itself. Assessing his political rivals, he said: "Overall, it's one or two out of 10."