Sturgeon reshuffle cements return of one of her oldest allies

He has been on a bit of a personal odyssey since then, becoming a father for the first time and moving back to his home town, where he is now the MSP for Edinburgh Central.

The 51-year-old has been entrusted with potentially the most momentous - or if you’re sceptical, the most hollow - portfolio, replacing Michael Russell as Constitution Secretary.

With Boris Johnson in no mood to grant Indyref2 and Ms Sturgeon in no hurry to hold it given the polls, Mr Robertson’s role is likely to feature more rhetoric and process than action.

However that doesn’t mean he will be idle. 

His Westminster experience means he could be a vital link between ministers in Edinburgh and London, and his European connections may be even more useful.

Half-German with a gift for languages, expect to see him on a charm offence in Brussels, laying the ground for an independent Scotland to rejoin the EU and reminding No-Remain voters that independence offers them the best way to reverse Brexit.

His old friend David McAllister, a German MEP tipped as a potential European Commissioner, could be a big asset in his efforts.

When Ms Sturgeon steps up her push for Indyref2, and if Ms Johnson rebuffs her, it will be Mr Robertson who has to get a unilateral Holyrood Referendum Bill passed, and then very possibly champion it through a UK Supreme Court challenge.

If there is a referendum, also remember Mr Robertson is a veteran campaigner, coordinating some of the SNP’s biggest election wins, including the majority of 2011.

He ticks every box Ms Sturgeon could want in a Constitution Secretary.

Elsewhere, Kate Forbes has seen her finance portfolio beefed up at a time of huge economic upheaval, continuing her baptism of fire.

She became Finance Secretary last year after the shock resignation of Derek Mackay, following the revelation he had bombarded a 16-year-old boy with messages.

The story broke on the eve of the Scottish Budget, and Ms Forbes was given just hours to prepare to step into his shoes.

She was widely praised for her performance under pressure. 

But the 31-year-old barely had time to catch her breath before the country was plunged into the coronavirus crisis just weeks later.

An MSP since 2016, Ms Forbes is a fluent Gaelic speaker and was recently highlighted by Ms Sturgeon as a possible successor.

Humza Yousaf, Scotland's new Health Secretary, is another politician the First Minister has singled out as "incredibly talented". 

The 36-year-old moves from the justice brief, where he was responsible for steering though controversial hate crime legislation.

MSPs passed the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill earlier this year following multiple amendments, and despite concerns over freedom of speech.

Mr Yousaf has been an MSP since 2011 and was first promoted under Alex Salmond, when he became the youngest minister ever appointed to the Scottish Government, as well as the first from an ethnic minority background.

Shirley-Anne Somerville, who takes over as Education Secretary, was previously in charge of social security.

But before that, the 46-year-old was the minister for further education, higher education and science, giving her a grounding in her new portfolio.