Scotland's First Minister has insisted the "nonsense" will end in 2014 when the country votes on independence.

With a deal on the referendum now agreed with the UK Government, Alex Salmond said Scotland was the closest it had been for 300 years to becoming independent.

He also claimed the country could afford to leave the UK, saying it paid more in taxes than it received in spending.

Mr Salmond held up a copy of the Edinburgh Agreement he signed with Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday, paving the way for the historic vote on the country's future as he opened the Scottish National Party (SNP) annual conference in Perth.

He told activists: "Make no mistake, we intend to win this referendum for Scotland."

The First Minister went on to state: "Conference, in 2014 the nonsense ends."

His quote came from a poem written by George Robertson - brother of former Hearts footballer John Robertson - called The Nonsense Ends.

Mr Salmond read the work, which speaks about not being "content with just a devolved parliament" and says "our day is coming", before ending with the line: "In 2014 the nonsense ends."

With the deal on the staging on the referendum now agreed, Mr Salmond said: "We're now closer to our goal of Scottish independence, not just in the 80 years of SNP history, but over the last 300 years. That's what awaits the people of Scotland in two years' time."

He hit out at the coalition at Westminster, which he said "couldn't run a tap, never mind a government".

And he insisted that Scotland could afford to leave the United Kingdom, saying: "At the last count Scotland contributed 9.6% of the UK's taxation and received in return 9.3% of the UK's spending. That gap is £2.7 billion, or to put it another way £1,000 for every family in Scotland.

"That's £1,000 we could spend on vital services, £1,000 which means the country could borrow less, we could save for the future, we can defend the vital services that are part of the social fabric of Scotland."

Mr Salmond said: "That fact tells us an independent Scotland will have the resources to invest in the economy and defend the services of the Scottish people."

He also argued that if his SNP administration could be trusted to run areas such as health, education and local government, it should also be trusted on areas such as defence and the economy.

Mr Salmond said if the Nationalists at Holyrood were "believed and trusted because of our track record in administration, then isn't that the platform to say 'if you trust this Government to run the health service, the education system, local government, and social services, then shouldn't we be trusted to run the economy, to run defence, Scotland's international representation?'."

When Mr Cameron signed the Edinburgh Agreement on Monday, he pledged to campaign to keep the United Kingdom "family" together.

He said then: "I hope that people will vote to keep this United Kingdom together."

But earlier today, Scottish Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she believed Scots would opt for independence when given the chance at the ballot box.

She said: "This week's agreement between the Scottish and UK governments ensures that we will have a referendum made in Scotland, with the outcome respected by all sides - the task now is to go out and win the argument among the people.

"And if we win the argument, we will win the referendum."

She cited polling evidence which suggested almost two-thirds of Scots thought the SNP administration was "better at making decisions for Scotland".

A YouGov poll, commissioned by the Nationalists, found 64% of those surveyed believed this, compared to 24% who thought the UK Government was better.

The same poll also found 45% would be likely to vote for independence in the referendum if they could be persuaded that leaving the UK would mean their family would be economically better off.

Ms Sturgeon said: "A Yes vote is there to be won, and I believe will be won in two years' time.

"We know that a clear majority of people in Scotland believe that the Scottish Government is better at making decisions for Scotland than Westminster - by 64% to 24% - which is an essential foundation of the case for independence, and is also testament to the success of the degree of independence offered to us by devolution.

"And most people are likely to vote Yes for an independent Scotland if they believe that they and their family will be better off."