LIBDem rural affairs spokesman Tavish Scott has landed himself in the manure after some over-enthusiastic muck spreading about his political opponents.

The Shetland MSP accused Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead of "politicising" the Royal Highland show after he unveiled plans to make a major speech on independence at the event.

Unfortunately Mr Scott appeared to have forgotten that his LibDem colleague George Lyon MEP, is to launch a "Rural Better Together" pro-UK campaign group at the show.

Attacking Mr Lochhead's independence speech, Mr Scott fumed: "The SNP's decision to politicise this year's Highland Show is regrettable. Taxpayers' money is being used to give a nationalist a political platform to rubbish the UK.

"The Highland Show should be a platform for Scotland's livestock and food, not for constitutional politics."

A spokesman for the pro-independence campaign group Yes Scotland said: "Clearly, Tavish Scott hasn't yet heard that the No campaign is launching Rural Better Together at the Royal Highland Show. Alistair Darling MP, that other well-known non-politician, will be officiating. To say this drives a combine harvester through Mr Scott's plea for the event to be politics-free is something of an understatement."

Announcing plans for his "independence seminar" Mr Lochhead said: "I have worked hard to use the powers of devolution to drive forward our ambitions for rural Scotland, for its communities and its industries. But we will be able to do much more with the powers which independence brings."