INDEPENDENCE would give Scotland greater influence in the world, Scottish Greens leader Patrick Harvie has claimed.

He told an audience in Edinburgh that small countries could punch above their weight in the digital age.

Speaking last night at an event organised by the David Hume Institute in association with the Royal Society of Edinburgh's Young Academy of Scotland, he said: "In the independence debate we're seeing Scottish politicians on the No side continuing to perpetuate the myth that bigger is always better.

"They also falsely claim that by taking control of our own affairs we'd be putting up barriers, when of course in this digital age Scotland could truly make its mark on the world by asserting its own voice.

"Scotland's connections to the wider world don't depend on the Whitehall and Westminster institutions, as today's absurd debate in the House of Lords is proving.

"If we vote Yes, the world's eyes will be upon us, and we will have a chance to be bold and inspirational."

He added: "With independence we have a chance to pursue a different economic model - one that prioritises equality and sustainability, supports small business and social enterprise, and shows leadership, influencing our friends and neighbours in these islands and beyond."