Andy Murray apologised to fans on his Facebook page, external after his defeat to Roger Federer last night.

Image source, Getty Images

The British number one lost 6-0, 6-1 to the Swiss star at the World Tour Finals.

Read Piers Newbery's match report from the O2 in London.

Scottish councils have sparked a debate with parents, politicians and education leaders by suggesting children could start school at the age of six.

Image source, PA

BBC Scotland's education correspondent Jamie McIvor looks at the issue.

As the BBC's hugely successful Children in Need appeal swings back into action for another year, the creator of the charity's Pudsey Bear mascot explains how the cuddly teddy came to be named.

Image source, Don Smith

An air and ground search is being carried out for a Royal Marine who has gone missing in the Cairngorms National park.

The 20-year-old man, who is from the Tayside area, had gone walking and running in the Glen Clova area of the Angus Glens on Thursday afternoon.

The man's father raised the alarm after he failed to return.

Police, Tayside Mountain Rescue, dogs and an RAF helicopter were involved in an overnight search.

James Cook
Scotland Correspondent, BBC News

tweets:, external Although not ruling it out, it's pretty clear that Nicola Sturgeon's SNP won't enter a Westminster coalition: "I tend away from coalitions."

BBC Scotland Travel
Latest

Argyll Ferries has suspended its Gourock to Dunoon sailings for now, with a bus service replacing it.

CalMac Ardrossan - Brodick has been placed on amber alert, and may be liable to disruption or cancellation at short notice.

CalMac 0840 from Mallaig and the 0925 from Armadale have been cancelled this morning due to adverse weather.

BBC Scotland Weather
Latest

A cloudy start for much of the country. Very quickly a band of rain will spread into the south west and move north eastwards during the morning.

A Met Office Yellow "be aware" warning is in place for Tayside, Angus, along with southern Aberdeenshire where the ground is already saturated.

Drier and brighter conditions will develop across the south west early this afternoon and spread in towards Strathclyde later in the day.

Temperatures will range from 13C in the north west to around 11C for most.

Andrew Black
Political reporter, BBC Scotland

tweets:, external @NicolaSturgeon to become @theSNP leader as their conference gets under way #snp14

The murder of toddler Madison Horn again features on the front pages of a number of Scottish papers.

The Daily Record has an interview with the ex-girlfriend of Madison's killer Kevin Park who says he subjected her to horrific beatings, while The Scottish Sun speaks to the two-year-old's grandfather who believes her killer should hang for her murder.

The Scottish Daily Mail questions how Park was 'free to murder' Madison, given his 38 previous criminal convictions, and says he was wearing an electronic tag at the time of the murder having been spared jail for a brutal assault on a former partner.

Image source, other

The Herald, The Times and The Scotsman all dedicate much of their front pages to outgoing First Minister Alex Salmond's vow to continue the fight for independence, with The Scotsman quoting the soon to be ex-SNP leader as saying "it's not all over".

The Herald focuses on the SNP's election plans, saying that the door has been opened to non-party members as "Salmond's fight goes on".

BBC Breakfast

First minister designate Nicola Sturgeon says she hasn't decided yet if the promise of another independence referendum will be in the SNP's manifesto for the 2016 Holyrood elections.

Image source, Getty Images

She told BBC Breakfast: "I'll decide that in line with the democratic processes of the SNP at the appropriate moment and we'll take that decision based on a judgement of what we consider to be in the best interests of Scotland."

She said the decision on whether or not there was another referendum would also depend on "how Westminster politicians behave".

"I would suggest to them that if they want to stem rising demand in Scotland for another referendum, they need to deliver the promise they made in the campaign to more powers, they need to think again about the austerity cuts that are impoverishing so many of our children.

"Perhaps they need to think again about dumping a new generation of nuclear weapons on the River Clyde."

SNP leaders plan to change party rules to allow non-members to stand as candidates in the General Election.

Image source, Reuters

The move is designed to appeal to activists who campaigned for a "Yes" vote in the independence referendum.

The plan will be unveiled at the party's conference, which will open in Perth later.

A health board has issued advice to motorists crossing from England into Scotland ahead of new drink-driving limits starting north of the border.

Image source, PA

After approval by the Scottish Parliament, the legal level would be cut from 80mg to 50mg in every 100ml of blood on 5 December.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway said drivers could leave England under the limit but find they were over the Scottish limit.

It said the best advice was not to get behind the wheel at all after drinking.

A memorial service will be held in Fraserburgh later for three fishermen who died when their boat sank off the coast of Northumberland.

Image source, Davie Tait

Skipper James Noble was found in the water but died later, after the Ocean Way went down 100 miles east of the Farne Islands on 2 November.

Crewmen Junito Antonio Junior and Michael Pulpul, both from the Philippines, have not been found.

Nicola Sturgeon is to formally take over the leadership of the SNP today from Alex Salmond.

Image source, Danny Lawson

She will be confirmed in the post as the SNP's annual conference gets under way in Perth, before being voted in as Scottish first minister next week.

Ms Sturgeon, who has been the SNP's deputy leader for the past decade, was the only candidate for the job.

Graham Fraser
BBC Scotland

Good morning, and welcome to today's Scotland Live blog.