Scots economic growth outstripped UK

The upturn was largely driven by an increase in exports of whisky and other goods

Scotland's economy performed better than previously thought at the start of the year, according to official figures.

The country's chief statistician said the economy was now estimated to have grown by 0.4% in the first three months of the year.

That is an increase from the 0.2% that was previously estimated.

It is also higher than the 0.2% growth in the UK economy as a whole over the same period.

The revised figures mean that Scotland's GDP grew by 1.3% between the first quarter of last year and the first quarter of 2018.

This was marginally higher than the 1.2% growth in the UK economy over the year.

'Hugely encouraging'

The upturn at the start of the year was largely driven by manufactured exports such as whisky, with a 3.6% increase in goods being sold around the world.

Output in the service sector grew by 0.4% and in the production sector by 1.0%, but the construction sector saw a fall of 1.4% - although this has been revised up from a first estimate of -3.5% because of "data updates and methodology improvements".

Scotland's finance secretary, Derek Mackay, said the figures were "hugely encouraging", but repeated his call for the UK to remain in the EU single market and customs union after Brexit "to protect jobs and investment and remove unnecessary uncertainty which could harm Scotland's economic prosperity."

The Scottish Chambers of Commerce also welcomed the revised statistics, but said it remained concerned at the construction industry continuing to experience falls in output, and at GDP remaining below historical growth trends.

It called on the Scottish government to use its forthcoming programme for government to invest in national infrastructure in order to "jumpstart our construction sector and provide the foundation for increased growth rates for the entire economy".

The figures also estimated that the value of Scotland's onshore GDP was £156.5bn in total, or £28,797 per person, in the financial year 2017-18.

This rises to £170bn in total, or £31,367 per person, when a geographical share of the UK's oil and gas industry is included.

UK GDP grew by 0.4% in the second quarter of the year, but the equivalent Scottish figures have not yet been released.