Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead will politicise a flagship countryside event if he discusses the impact of independence on rural Scotland there, the Liberal Democrats have claimed.

Mr Lochhead plans to speak out on the effect leaving the UK could have when he makes a speech at the Royal Highland Show, which is taking place at Ingliston, just outside Edinburgh, later this month.

But Lib Dems rural affairs spokesman Tavish Scott accused Mr Lochhead of "politicising" the show.

Mr Scott said: "The SNP's decision to politicise this year's Highland Show is regrettable.

"Taxpayers' money is being used to give a nationalist a political platform to rubbish the UK.

"The Highland Show should be a platform for Scotland's livestock and food - not for constitutional politics."

Mr Lochhead said the event was a fitting venue for outlining what independence could mean for rural communities.

He said: "As Rural Affairs Secretary I have worked hard to use the powers of devolution to drive forward our ambitions for rural Scotland, for its communities and its industries.

"But we will be able to do much more with the powers which independence brings.

"I firmly believe that Scotland's true potential has yet to be realised and that's particularly true in rural Scotland, where we have fantastic assets and yet, too often, find ourselves unable to harness their full potential because of the limitations of devolution.

"The Royal Highland Show is a major highlight of the rural calendar and I believe it's a fitting venue for us to outline our vision for what independence could mean for rural Scotland."

A spokesman for the pro-independence group Yes Scotland said: "Clearly, Tavish Scott hasn't yet heard that the No campaign is launching Rural Better Together, whose chairman is none other than his Liberal Democrat colleague George Lyon MEP, at the Royal Highland Show next Friday. Alistair Darling MP, that other well-known non-politician, will be officiating.

"To say this drives a combine harvester through Mr Scott's plea for the event to be politics-free is something of an understatement."