Scots actor Dougray Scott has suggested a failure to depict a realistic version of Scotland in TV drama could drive support for independence.

The Fife-born 55-year-old said too few Scottish stories had been adapated for television while many English novels had been given "pride of place".

Speaking to The Sunday Times the actor, who appears in the new Britbox TV adaptation of Irvine Welsh's novel Crime, which was filmed in Glasgow and Edinburgh, said viewers were not seeing a Scotland that is "truly representative".

He said: "It's not been adequately represented at all - not by a long way.

"We're kind of marginalised to an extent and that really f***ing annoys me now.

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"We have these incredible stories and they deserve to be told."

The Herald:

He described Outlander as "great" but said setting a drama in Scotland was not the same as providing a Scottish drama.

"This is a reality for more people. We've got great storytellers, lots of great novelists - with Irvine being one of the greatest. 

"Lots of English novelists have been adapted for television and given pride of place.

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"The remit given to them [broadcasters] is that they have to representative of the country.

"No wonder we want f***ing independence. It's like: we count too. We have a voice and you're supposed to provide a a platform for us and they don't."

Irvine Welsh said he "pretty much" agreed with the actor.

"Basically the argument hasn't advanced in any way. I think in some ways it's probably got worse," he said.