First Minister Alex Salmond today effectively slaps down his one-time mentor Jim Sillars and insists that there would be no "day of reckoning" after a Yes indy vote.

The former deputy SNP leader and ex-Labour MP caused widespread controversy on Friday when he said "when we get a Yes majority we will use that power for a day of reckoning with BP and the banks".

This morning, Mr Sillars, widower of SNP trailblazer Margo MacDonald, rolled back on his claims, insisting it was a bid to get media attention.

Speaking on Radio 4's Today programme, he said: "I knew when I used terms like 'reckoning' and 'nationalisation' that I would get exposed both on radio and television and here I am on your prestigious programme, hopefully able to say to BP's institutional shareholders and the board of BP: it's time you reined this man in (Bob Dudley) because he is taking part in 'project fear' organised by the Prime Minister from Downing Street."

He added: "For us to nationalise BP would be a major problem. We don't have the ability to nationalise the North Sea. Anyone with any knowledge of Scotland ... we don't have the kind of technical knowledge and financial and contractual knowledge. There's about 570 rigs out there."

Mr Salmond then issued a lunchtime statement, saying a "day of celebration" would take place following a Yes vote, followed by the hard work of assembling Team Scotland to take the country forward - not a "day of reckoning" for big companies drawn into the orchestrated campaign by Downing Street against Scottish independence.

The First Minister said: "The day after a Yes vote there will cease to be a No campaign and Yes campaign - only Team Scotland. We will approach the success of Yes with magnanimity to all.

"Jim Sillars is a great campaigner who has put aside his personal grief over the loss of his wife Margo MacDonald to put his heart and soul into galvanising the Yes vote.

"He is fighting a fine campaign all over Scotland - but the day after a Yes vote will be a day of celebration for the people, not reckoning for big companies drawn into the No campaign by Downing Street.

"Jim was simply trying to express the anger felt by so many people about the revelations that some supermarket statements were orchestrated by the Prime Minister himself."

Mr Sillars was one of the "big beasts" when Mr Salmond was rising through the SNP ranks and it is well documented how much he admired the older man, a legendary orator, although relations have cooled noticeably in recent times.

Today's statement, following a social media backlash, including many comments by Yes-leaning posters on HeraldScotland, indicates Mr Salmond could see how strategically damaging yesterday's remarks were at a time when the polls suggest a close vote on Thursday.

The First Minister added: "We must rise above these underhand Tory tactics, and be confident of the new spirit in Scotland. The people are showing no signs whatsoever of being cowed.

"They are in no mood to be bullied by big Westminster Government putting pressure on big business to intimidate the people of Scotland. Indeed, just the opposite is happening.

"We should also remember two things. One is that many businesses have refused to be pressurised by Downing Street. For every supermarket drawn into it, there is a Tesco who are properly neutral. For every negativity from Bob Dudley of BP there is the positivity of Tim Martin of Wetherspoons.

"Second, there are now almost 3,000 members of Business for Scotland led by some of the greatest job creators in the country. People like Jim McColl don't just talk about Scotland's prospects. They transform the position of workers at Ferguson's to save shipbuilding on the lower Clyde."

Former prime minster Gordon Brown, speaking at a Labour No event in Kirkcaldy, said: "I yield to no one in my patriotism and my pride in Scotland.

"None of us here should allow it to be said that anybody who votes no is less patriotic and less proud of our country.

"We are patriotic Scots. We've got a patriotic vision for the future. We're proud of our institutions. We're patriotic, we're proud of Scotland.

"We're proud of our distinctive education system. We're proud of our legal system that is different and distinctive.

"We're proud of our churches of all denominations because they have distinctive Scottish heritage.

"We're proud that we the Labour Party - not the SNP - created the Scottish Parliament. We're proud also that we are giving more powers to the Scottish Parliament.

"We are proud to that we share and cooperate as part of the United Kingdom."