The first minister continues saying: "This decision is not a reaction to short term pressures."

Nicola Sturgeon explains when it comes to "navigating choppy waters" she has plenty of experience to draw on.

"This decision comes from a deeper and longer term assessment."

She says she has been wrestling with this decision for some weeks and must answer two questions:

"Is carrying on right for me?

"And more importantly is me carrying on right for the country, for my party and for the independence cause I have devoted my life to."

She says the answer to both is no.

Image source, PA Media

"Today I am announcing my intention to step down as first minister and leader of my party," Nicola Sturgeon says. "I will remain in office until my successor is elected."

She acknowledges some will be "upset", and jokes that others will "cope just fine" with the news.

Sturgeon adds: "My decision comes from a place of duty and love."

Sturgeon says the job of Scotland's first minister is the "very best job in the world".

She says it has sustained her through "toughest hours in toughest days"​ - but adds it is important to know "almost instinctively when the time is right to make way for someone else".

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed she is resigning after more than eight years as head of the Scottish government.

We're now hearing her explanation for how she came to that decision.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has started speaking at Bute House.

Stay with us, as we keep you abreast of what she says.

You can also watch the live stream by clicking the Play button at the top of this page.

Polling expert Prof Sir John Curtice from Strathclyde University tells the BBC there "isn't an obvious successor" for Nicola Sturgeon, who he says is currently the SNP's most effective communicator.

He says she is "far and away the most popular leader" in Scotland, though her popularity is as low as it has been during her tenure.

She was regarded as a very effective communicator during the Covid-19 pandemic in contrast to Boris Johnson, he says.

Although he adds she has hit choppier waters politically, Ms Sturgeon is not at a level where she is a drag on her party.

SNP MP Stewart McDonald has also been paying tribute to his party leader Nicola Sturgeon, describing her as "the finest public servant of the devolution age".

Meanwhile Alison Thewliss, the SNP MP for Glasgow Central and the party's home affairs spokesperson, has shared her disappointment over Nicola Sturgeon's impending resignation.

"Absolutely gutted about this. Nicola has been an incredible leader," she tweeted., external

Image source, PA Media

The leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats says Scotland faces "many challenges" and he calls on the SNP to "get stability restored" after the first minister steps down.

But today is "not a day for political attacks", Alex Cole-Hamilton tells BBC News.

Despite having a "combative" relationship with the outgoing first minister, Cole-Hamilton recalls a warm moment between the two when the FM offered him "words of comfort" after his young daughter choked on a coin and had to be resuscitated around five years ago.

Nick Eardley
Chief political correspondent

I've spent the past half hour on the phone to people around Nicola Sturgeon and in the SNP.

Most are waiting to hear Nicola Sturgeon's press conference before they speak publicly.

But it's fair to say there is a sense of shock among many that the Sturgeon era is coming to an end.

Despite questions about the FM's future over the past few months, the timing of today's announcement has taken many by surprise.

But one person I've spoken to concludes: "She's had enough."

Nick Eardley
Chief political correspondent

To many, Nicola Sturgeon has become the face of Scottish independence in her time as first minister.

But in truth, it's far from clear if and when another referendum will happen.

The SNP is due to hold a special conference in March to discuss whether to use the next general election as a de facto referendum.

But it is controversial. Some senior figures accept it won't work - others have accused Sturgeon of waiting too long to push that case.

But might the departure of the party leader mean a rethink on independence strategy?

Possibly. It'll certainly be a key question for whoever wants to be the next SNP leader.

Lynsey Bews
BBC Scotland political correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

On a wet Wednesday during Holyrood’s February recess, journalists, photographers and camera crews are arriving at Bute House.

Many have been caught off guard by this morning’s surprise news - and many having rushed back from annual leave to cover what is set to be one of the most significant moments in Scottish politics.

The official residence of the first minister, Bute House, has been the location for many dramatic occasions.

After defeat in the 2014 independence referendum, it was where Alex Salmond announced his resignation as first minister.

Then in 2016, when the UK voted for Brexit, Nicola Sturgeon stood at the lectern and revealed she intended to pursue a second Independence vote.

Now Bute House is the venue for another major announcement - her departure from office after eight years at the top.

You'll be able to watch Nicola Sturgeon's address to the nation from Bute House at 11:00 live by pressing the Play button at the top of this page.

In the meantime, you can watch rolling BBC News channel coverage following the revelation that the SNP leader is poised to announce her resignation.

We're expecting to hear from Nicola Sturgeon at about 11:00 when she'll hold a press conference from Bute House.

The SNP leader is likely to announce her resignation as Scotland's first minister.

But just three weeks ago, she told the BBC there was "plenty left in the tank" and that she hopes to be the leader who takes Scotland to independence.

Speaking after New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation, Sturgeon said: "If I ever reach the point that she has clearly reached, where I think overall I just can't give the job everything it deserves, then I hope I have the same courage she's had in saying, 'OK, this is the point to go'."

Nick Eardley
Chief political correspondent

When Nicola Sturgeon became SNP leader, there was no doubt she would get the job. She had been Alex Salmond's deputy for seven years.

But it's less clear who will take over this time. There isn't - this morning anyway - a candidate who you would assume will win.

A few names to watch. Kate Forbes, the finance secretary who is currently on maternity leave.

Angus Robertson, the former Westminster leader who is now a Scottish government minister. The deputy first minister John Swinney has been linked with a caretaker job in the past.

You might also hear other ministers like Humza Yousaf linked with the job.

But a big change is coming for the SNP.

Former SNP MP Stephen Gethins has told the BBC he is "surprised... and disappointed".

"Nicola Sturgeon is someone who has led with distinction," he said.

"She has continually polled better than any other leader in the UK and the SNP continues to have a significant lead over any other political party," Gethins said.

He says he doesn't know why Sturgeon has taken this decision. "It's a hard, stressful job that can take up a lot of time... This [decision] is something that will be disappointing to a lot of people north of the border and elsewhere in the UK."

There are "big shoes to fill" but there are "a number" of people who would be capable of doing so, Gethins said.

Image source, Reuters

Sturgeon took over as leader of the SNP from Alex Salmond following Scotland's 2014 independence referendum.

The ballot saw 55% of the electorate vote to remain in the United Kingdom, compared with the 45% who wanted out.

The SNP had campaigned for Scottish independence - and continues to do so. Sturgeon has said she sees the next UK election as another "de facto referendum".

Sturgeon told the party's 2014 conference in Perth that leading the party she joined as a teenager was "the biggest privilege of my life".

Nicola Sturgeon is Scotland's longest-serving first minister.

Born in Irvine, North Ayrshire, in 1970, she grew up during what she called "the dark days of the Thatcher era".

She joined the SNP at 16 and studied law at Glasgow University before working as a lawyer.

Her entry into full-time politics came when she was elected to the new Scottish Parliament in 1999 as a Glasgow regional MSP.

Her first big test in government came when she was deputy first minister and health secretary, as swine flu was declared a pandemic.

She then took on the job of "Yes Minister"- overseeing planning for the independence referendum.

After the electorate rejected independence in 2014, Ms Sturgeon took over from her mentor Alex Salmond as first minister.

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

This is a bombshell which will send shockwaves through Scottish politics. That’s not just because Nicola Sturgeon has been a key figure for so long – an MSP since the Scottish parliament was opened in 1999, and its longest serving first minister.

It’s also because her government stands at a pivotal moment in the pursuit of the SNP’s founding goal, of Scottish independence. The party is holding a special conference next month to decide how it should move the issue on, in light of the UK government’s refusal to engage with plans for a referendum.

And frankly, with no clear successors waiting in the wings, if Ms Sturgeon isn’t running the independence campaign, it’s not clear who will be placed to call the shots.

The first minister had come under significant pressure in recent weeks over her government’s gender reforms. But she has been so dominant in Scottish politics for so long that this still feels it has come completely out of the blue.

Glenn Campbell
BBC Scotland Political Editor

It is not thought her departure will be immediate, allowing time for a successor to be elected.

Resignation comes after rocky period for SNP leaderpublished at 10:18 Greenwich Mean Time 15 February 2023

10:18 GMT 15 February 2023

Nick Eardley
Chief political correspondent

This is a huge moment.

Nicola Sturgeon has been a central figure in Scottish and UK politics for a decade. She is Scotland's longest serving first minister and has become synonymous with her party and the independence movement since taking power in 2014.

Her departure comes after a rocky period for her party, however. Reform of gender recognition laws caused controversy inside and outside the SNP. There are tensions in the party over however to secure a second independence referendum.

For a couple of years now, there has been speculation about Sturgeon's future. There have been suggestions she might seek a job in an international NGO, for example.

At the moment, we are waiting to see what reason the first minister gives for her decision. But one friend tells me this morning: "She's had enough".