The UK Lib Dem leader was speaking as he visited Edinburgh to congratulate Willie Rennie and Alex Cole-Hamilton on their constituency wins.

He said: "I'm the first party leader for the Liberal Democrats in 8 years now to be able to celebrate gains in the local elections.

Image source, @LibDemPress

"That's a superb step forward for us, great results gaining seats in Scotland and across English local government.

"It's not going to be all over in one year, it's not like this is an overnight recovery, we've got a long way to go.

"But this is a great set of results for us and really encouraging as we build a fightback."

BBC Radio Scotland

Speaking on BBC Scotland's Newsdrive programme, Ms Dugdale defended her campaign after the party saw its seats fall from 37 in 2011 to just 24 at Holyrood.

Image source, PA

She said: "it was very positive and very much focused on the future. 

"We had a plan to stop the cuts, to oppose any future austerity and the reality is that Scotland is now faced with £3bn of cuts - cuts that are going to affect every family, every community and we have a Tory opposition to stand up against that and I fear for a lot of very vulnerable and disadvantaged people as a consequence of that."

The Guardian

In many ways... the Scottish Tories were the surprise winners of the night, replacing Labour as Scotland’s official opposition party – an unthinkable outcome last year, when the Tory leader, Ruth Davidson, devised an election campaign free of any input from David Cameron, George Osborne, or any other UK party leaders.

Image source, PA

The big message from the 2016 Scottish election seems to be that the constitutional issue has now replaced class as the primary fault-line in Scottish politics, and on the unionist side the Tories are seen as less toxic and more combative and competent than Scottish Labour.

Davidson achieved a victory of Leicester City proportions in the Edinburgh Central constituency, external where she stood, the Tories leaping from fourth place to snatch the seat from the SNP. Davidson ran a strong campaign, matching the SNP’s personality-led “Re-elect Nicola” slogan with her own “Ruth Davidson for a strong opposition”.

Read Lesley Riddoch's full opinion piece here., external

The Scottish Green Party co-convener hailed his party's success after it trebled the number of MSPs from two to six and beat the Liberal Democrats into fifth place.

Image source, PA

BBC Radio Scotland

BBC Radio Scotland reporter David Allison will be among those assessing the fall-out from the election on Newsdrive. 

  Listen live here. 

The Scottish party leader said the SNP must pledge to take another independence referendum within the duration of the parliament "off the table" to "get over the starting line" in terms of support from his party.

Mr Rennie said: "They have got to make a clear and unambiguous statement that another referendum must be off the table for the next five years in order to respect the referendum result.

"That's what they need to go just to get over the starting line and I think it's going to be pretty hard for them, but that's what they'll need to do in order to make sure that we can work in partnership."

His comments come after Nicola Sturgeon ruled out a coalition with any other party at Holyrood.

Speaking at the Apex Hotel in Edinburgh's Grassmarket, the Scottish Conservative leader added: "Now that she has failed to win a majority, whatever claims the SNP were pursuing with regard to constitutional brinkmanship over the next five years have now been utterly shredded.

"No mandate, no majority, no cause - the SNP must now let Scotland move on.

"There has been a material change. As she starts her new term of office, I hope Nicola Sturgeon makes it clear that she will now focus entirely on what she was elected to do - lead a devolved administration."

View a gallery of images from across Scotland as the votes were counted here. 

Image source, PA

Image source, EPA

Speaking in Edinburgh, Ms Sturgeon said she didn't intend to seek a formal arrangement with any other parties, but added she would seek to lead an "inclusive government". 

On the question of independence, Ms Sturgeon said: "The SNP will always make our case with passion, with patience and with respect.   

Image source, Getty Images

"But our aim is to persuade, not to divide. We will always respect the opinion of the people, now and in the future. And we simply ask that other parties do likewise." 

Ms Sturgeon said the SNP was determined to use new powers to "mitigate austerity, invest in our public services and build a social security system based on the principles of dignity and respect". 

Nicola Sturgeon is speaking on the steps of Bute House. 

She said: "We are the very first party in the era of devolution to poll more than one million votes  in constituencies across the country. 

"The result was emphatic. The people of Scotland once again placed their trust in the SNP to run their country."

Watch live on the BBC News channel here. 

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

"We've won this election," says SNP chairman Derek Mackay, "We've won with more votes than before."

Mr Mackay added: "Listening to some of the Tories, you'd think they'd come first," Mr Mackay adds, whereas in fact they came second.

And he has some harsh words for Labour in Scotland:

Image source, PA

Sarah Smith
Scotland Editor

It never feels good for any politician to wake up the morning after an election defeat.

Today it's hard to imagine many senior Labour figures got much sleep at all last night.

Image source, PA

No doubt lying awake contemplating their humiliating defeat by the Tories, who knocked them decisively into third place.

But also having to ask deeper existential questions about whether there is still a place for the Labour Party in the Scottish political landscape.

Read Sarah Smith's analysis here.

During BBC Radio Scotland' Big Debate, former Scottish Labour leader Henry McLeish was asked whether he believed in the current head, Kezia Dugdale.

Image source, PA

"We have had more leaders than hot dinners over the last few years," he said. 

"To talk about Kezia and her future would be a major distraction and self-indulgence."