ALISON Rowat's column was, as always, well written and thoughtful and in putting the case of Sir Billy Connolly's position on his relationship with Scotland, timely ("Time for Scotland to move on from Sir Billy problem", The Herald April 2).

However, in doing so, she failed to address a key aspect of what many of us who seek Scotland's independence have at the heart of our commitment, that of our engagement with the rest of the world. Sir Billy sees that connection through the prism of the United Kingdom and his Britishness and that is perfectly understandable viewed from the perspective of what that stood for during Sir Billy's formative years.

Alison Rowat: Dear Scotland, what's your problem with Sir Billy?

However during the years since, the cultures of the constituent countries of the UK have moved in different directions. It is not necessary to restate the arguments here but the fact remains that the greater majority of Scotland's populace (regardless of nationality) support closer ties with Europe specifically and the world generally, than is the case in England. In general we recognise the benefits of immigration rather than view it as a threat, and we see our place in the world as a reflection of contemporary reality, rather than that of a country whose empire effectively came to an end in February 1945 at the Yalta conference.

I wish Sir Billy a long and productive life, I've been a fan since he and Gerry Rafferty performed at Glasgow University in the early 1970s, and I respect his world view and the factors that have contributed to it. However I do not and never have written England off, nor is my love of my country all I have. Having lived and worked in many countries what I do want is to have Scotland's place in the world defined and recognised as expansive, engaging and participative and not insular, introverted and subservient.

Bill Mitchell,

Upper Ardelve, Kyle.

DAVID Roche (Letters, April 11) in stating that "money, or the lack of it, is a pretty shameful reason to forfeit your birthright", should make Scots think of our current national predicament – Brexit, the economy, independence – in a different light. Effectively the only one of these three we control is whether or not to be an independent nation. Brexit is a waking nightmare over which, despite decent efforts by our devolved government, we have scant control. Our economy is one of contrasts, with excellent features and some just as dire, the lack of full policy control being a serious limiting factor. With independence there would be no guarantee of immediate economic gain or loss, but it would have the huge advantage of making us face up to our own challenges and aspirations.

There are few if any other nations on the planet that ceded their independence in the way Scotland did in 1707. On the other hand in modern times there are scores of nations that have gained (or regained from forcible loss) their independence, and not one has even considered giving it back. They would agree with Mr Roche that their birthright was the key factor. No other independence movement that I know was based on economic justification, so why should ours? Economics is neither principle nor benchmark on which to measure the case for self-determination. Our birthright was given away three centuries ago by the privileged few who then governed. Scots young and old should now reclaim that forfeited birthright and in so doing be prepared once again to take our place as a fully-fledged nation.

Lastly, in the next independence referendum I would propose that only over-16s and under-60s be allowed to vote. Had that been the case in 2014 we would by now have joined the community of nations and reclaimed our birthright.

Lindsay Matheson (73),

52 Largo Road, St Andrews.

THE views expressed by Dr Gerald Edwards and Dr Richard Marsh (Letters, April 12) appear to be rooted more in blind anger against the SNP than any careful analysis of the facts. The simple truth is that some 70 per cent of Scots will pay less income tax than last year, and a majority of Scots will pay less than people living elsewhere in the UK. Not to mention council tax which is generally lower in Scotland, and the extra benefits we enjoy such as free prescriptions and free university tuition.

As for Scotland’s admittedly poor GDP growth, it helps to take note of the bigger picture. The UK now ranks among the laggards within the EU nations. In contrast, small independent nations such as Ireland, Estonia, Luxembourg, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Sweden are expected to record GDP growth in excess of three per cent, compared to the UK’s 1.7 per cent. Attacking the SNP for Scotland’s economic performance within the Union, over which it has little control anyway, is pointless. Our ambition should not be to match the UK’s feeble performance, but to join the powerhouse economies of Europe’s small independent nations.

Paddy Farrington,

46 Marchmont Road, Edinburgh.

AM I the only person in Scotland confused by the enormity of media coverage devoted to SNP politicians contradicting one another over whether there should be another independence referendum over the next 18 months ("Candidate for SNP deputy demands new referendum in 18 months", The Herald, April 12)?

Theresa May has repeatedly stated that here in Scotland we won't vote again on breaking up the UK until after the 2021 Holyrood election, at the earliest. So if so, then what are Nicola Sturgeon’s options?

She is unlikely to win in court challenging Downing Street over the legality of this decision. It's absolutely not a devolved power and the precedent of a Section 30 order only temporarily granting the Scottish Parliament the right to hold the 2014 vote, enshrined in the 2012 Edinburgh Agreement, is clear to see. Plus Ms Sturgeon is even less likely to stage a Catalan-style illegal referendum – she needs more than a pyrrhic victory.

SNP MPs would be better focusing on Brexit and other UK-wide matters and nationalist MSPs should concentrate on their exclusively domestic remit. Obsessing – and apparently these days disagreeing – over a referendum is what the SNP establishment does best, but this doesn't shrink NHS waiting lists nor reduce the attainment gap.

Martin Redfern,

Woodcroft Road, Edinburgh.