Events held to mark second anniversary of indyref

Events are being held to mark the second anniversary of the Scottish independence referendum.

Scotland went to the polls on 18 September 2014 after a lengthy referendum campaign, with the pro-union side winning by 55% to 45%.

Pro-independence rallies being held in Glasgow and other cities to mark the anniversary of the 2014 vote.

Meanwhile pro-Union supporters are marking the occasion by calling for a second referendum to be ruled out.

The SNP has launched a "new conversation" on independence in the wake of the Brexit vote, but opposition parties have urged them to "focus on the day job" of governing Scotland.

A rally of independence supporters is being held at Glasgow Green, with live music and speakers including SNP MP and deputy leadership candidate Tommy Sheppard.

Meanwhile actress Elaine C Smith is hosting a meeting of the "Scottish Independence Convention" in Glasgow, with speakers including MSPs Jeane Freeman and Ross Greer.

• Post-indyref Scotland: two years in a changing nation

• In Pictures: how the indyref campaign unfolded

Other events are taking place elsewhere in Glasgow, Oban and Inverness, and a rally is also planned for Edinburgh later in the week.

On 18 September 2014, more than 3.6 million Scots - a record 84.59% of the electorate - turned out to vote on the question "should Scotland be an independent country".

A total of 2,001,926 people voted No, while 1,617,989 voted Yes.

Pro-independence campaigners gathered for a rally at Glasgow Green

The referendum saw the highest turnout in Scottish electoral history

Most of the major parties have changed leaders since then, with Nicola Sturgeon replacing Alex Salmond as first minister and Theresa May taking over from David Cameron in Downing Street, while there have been UK and Scottish parliamentary elections and a referendum on the EU.

Ms Sturgeon has claimed that the UK Scotland voted to remain part of "no longer exists", arguing that Scots have the right to consider a second poll in light of the EU referendum in June, which saw the majority of Scots who turned out backing Remain, while the UK as a whole voted to leave.

'Passing political fads'

Writing in the Sunday Herald newspaper to mark the anniversary, the SNP leader said self-governance was more important than "oil, national wealth and balance sheets".

Ms Sturgeon said: "The EU referendum and the myriad of uncertainties it has thrown up in terms of the path ahead for both Scotland and the rest of the UK have of course provided a new ingredient to the debate on Scotland's future.

"But two years on from the historic vote of 2014, the fundamental case for Scotland's independence remains as it was. The case for full self-government ultimately transcends the issues of Brexit, of oil, of national wealth and balance sheets and of passing political fads and trends.

The Scottish Conservatives have been campaigning against a second independence referendum

"It is in essence, as the Yes campaign said two years ago, about the simple fundamental truth that the big decisions about Scotland - including the decision about our EU membership - should be taken by those who live and work here. That is a truth which endures."

Mr Salmond meanwhile predicted his successor would call a second poll in 2018.

And the Scottish Greens said they would launch a fresh campaign to convince former No voters to back independence by having others who changed their minds explain their reasons.

A party spokesman said: "In light of the 2015 election, the prospect of decades more Tory government or the results of this year's Brexit vote many have reconsidered their choice and many more are thinking of doing the same. This campaign is about giving these voters a platform to tell their stories."

Former Better Together campaigners have also been marking the event.

'Tissue of lies'

The Scottish Conservatives have set up a number of street stalls across Scotland calling for the country to "move forward" instead of focusing on independence.

Leader Ruth Davidson said Ms Sturgeon's latest quotes showed she was "abandoning" her 2014 arguments.

She said: "The economic case for independence two years ago was a tissue of lies. Fantasy figures on oil and our national wealth concocted to fool people and which fell apart under scrutiny.

"Now everyone can see Nicola Sturgeon's sums don't add up, she's decided to abandon them altogether.

"Instead of trying to explain what would happen to our economy and how we fund our public services under independence, the new mantra is that none of these things matter anymore and people should just shut up about them and wrap themselves in a flag instead.

"I think Scots are smart enough to draw their own conclusions."

Pro-union campaigners have called on Ms Sturgeon to "respect" the result of the 2014 poll

Meanwhile, Ms Davidson's finance and economy spokesmen Murdo Fraser and Dean Lockhart have written to Ms Sturgeon urging her to rule out a second referendum, calling it a "ball and chain" on the country's economy.

They said Ms Sturgeon "could provide no greater stimulus to the Scottish economy than to clarify that no referendum will take place".

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said the SNP should "renew its focus on the day job".

'Bread and butter issues'

She said: "Since 2014 the economic arguments for Scotland staying in the UK, the positive benefits we get from pooling and sharing resources, have become stronger.

"With so many challenges facing Scotland's future it makes no sense to return to the arguments of our past.

"Instead there should be a renewed focus on the day job from the SNP government. We need to see real progress on the bread and butter issues which touch the lives of families across Scotland.

"Scotland's voice was heard in 2014 and Nicola Sturgeon needs to listen to it."

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie, speaking at his party's federal conference in Brighton, accused former Prime Minister David Cameron of putting "the future of the union" at risk by focusing on English nationalism after the vote.

He said: "Instead of reaching out to Scotland, he used his speech in the morning of the Scottish referendum result to stoke up English nationalism by arbitrarily stripping Scottish MPs of voting rights.

"He put all our work during the referendum at risk. I am glad he has gone. David Cameron doesn't deserve our respect or fond memory."