SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon is the first MSP to be sworn in and she chooses to repeat the affirmation.

Before taking the affirmation, Ms Sturgeon says: "The SNP pledges loyalty to the people of Scotland in line with the Scottish constitutional tradition within the sovereignty of the people."

Image source, Reuters

Nicola Sturgeon has been leader of the SNP and First Minister of Scotland since November 2014.

She had previously served as deputy first minister under Alex Salmond and Scotland's health secretary.

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

In Scotland the SNP won 64 seats, the Conservatives 31, Labour 22, the Scottish Greens eight and Liberal Democrats four.

The fact the SNP did not win a majority will make a real difference to the next five years at Holyrood. A minority government needs support from other parties to pass budgets and all of its major reforms.

If it had been a majority, we could have put every other manifesto in the bin and taken the SNP's manifesto to be the definitive guide to the term ahead.

The Scottish Greens in particular - who were the SNP's partner of choice last term - will be looking forward to potentially having some of their policy priorities passed in return for crucial votes.

It also means the SNP will not have a majority on any Holyrood committee, meaning their legislation will not necessarily sail through the parliament with ease.

• Scottish election results in maps and charts
• Full details of the results from across Scotland, external

Outgoing Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh gets proceedings under way by declaring this sixth session duly constituted.

Image source, Getty Images

Scotland's newly-elected MSPs will be sworn in at Holyrood this morning, with the parliament also choosing its new presiding officer.

Last week's election saw the SNP win a landslide victory, falling just one seat short of an overall majority.

The results mean there will be 43 new faces among the129 MSPs in the Scottish Parliament.

They include a record number of women, including the parliament's first two women of colour.

And the parliament will also have its first permanent wheelchair user to be elected as an MSP, Labour's Pam Duncan-Glancy.

• Read more here
• Sturgeon celebrates 'extraordinary' SNP triumph
• The numbers behind the Scottish election result
• Scottish election results in maps and charts

Regardless of whether each of Scotland's 129 MSPs chose to take an oath or affirmation, they will all pledge allegiance to the Queen.

The oath says: "I do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God".

The affirmation omits any religious reference, and instead states: "I do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law."

Following the campaign, in what was a unique election because of the pandemic and the tension of results emerging over two days, Scotland's MSPs will gather today in a completely different atmosphere.

Expect a mixture of congratulatory mood and celebration as the 129 newly-elected MSPs - a mix of faces both familiar and new - gather for the sixth session of the Scottish Parliament since devolution in 1999.

They will be sworn in either by oath or affirmation, and all will be required to pledge allegiance to the Queen - although some members are likely to chose to recite their own, customised versions.

Image source, Scottish Parliament

Outgoing Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh, will preside over the proceedings this morning - and also the election of his successor this afternoon.

When taking the oath, members will be asked to repeat the words after the officiating clerk. They may then repeat the words in a language other than English. Languages used in previous sessions have included Doric, Gaelic, Scots and Urdu.

Today's events at Holyrood will be largely procedural, but it won't be long before normal politics resumes.

Good morning and welcome to BBC Scotland's coverage of the first sitting of the sixth parliament.

All129 newly-elected members will take either an oath or an affirmation in the Holyrood chamber.

The leaders of Holyrood's five political parties will be sworn in first, with the remaining MSPs called in alphabetical order.

When they are all sworn in, a new presiding officer will be elected.