THE First Minister for Scotland obligingly autographed postcards for a trio of Edinburgh youngsters yesterday after being sworn in at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.

Earlier, Donald Dewar received the royal warrant of appointment from the Queen who had travelled north to meet him at her official Scottish residence, the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Outside the court, an informal Mr Dewar said of his meeting with the monarch: ''She was extraordinarily kind today. I was quite touched when she came up from London for the little ceremony especially to meet me. She obviously has a great interest in events.''

The First Minister - who all the media are dying to style the Scottish Premier - was asked to reflect on the historic events of the last few days. He said they could not simply have come about because of a group of politicians.

There had to be a wish for change and Scotland, in a very steady and determined way, had decided a new deal was necessary in the UK and this had now been achieved.

He said it was important that they were ready when the Parliament received its full powers on July 1. ''Obviously I am very conscious of the challenge. Negotiations with the Liberal Democrats will, I hope, promote stable Government. It is very much a case now of getting down to work for Scotland.''

In Court No 1, the Great Seal of Scotland, now known as the Scottish Seal, lay in its two silver halves on blue cushions. In fact, Mr Dewar was becoming Keeper of something he had scarcely had time to relinquish.

As Scottish Secretary, he was the Keeper of the Great Seal and, as the new First Minister, he becomes the Keeper of the newly-styled Scottish Seal, symbolising the fact that the Scottish Parliament - rather than Westminster - will now enact the majority of legislation for Scotland.

An imposing row of 10 red-robed judges looked down as a sober-suited Mr Dewar raised his right hand, and the Lord President, Lord Rodger, administered three oaths-allegiance to the Crown, an official oath of office, and the oath as Keeper of the Scottish Seal.

In addition to the bewigged ranks of the legal establishment, the short ceremony was watched by such notables as the head of the Scottish Office, Mr Muir Russell, and the chief executive of the new Parliament, Mr Paul Grice.

New Deputy First Minister and Liberal Democrat leader Jim Wallace was also present on the sidelines with Mr Dewar's spokesman and spin doctor David Whitton sitting, perhaps symbolically, at his shoulder.