SUPPORT for independence has risen back to its joint record level, according to a new poll.
The poll from The Scotsman/Savanta ComRes also found the SNP are on course for a majority at next year's Holyrood election.
It found 58 per cent of voters intend to back Yes, with 42% voting No, once don't knows are excluded.
With don't knows included, 52% back Yes and 38% No.
Meanwhile, 40% of voters think a second independence referendum should happen within the next two years.
The poll found 15% say five years should pass before another vote, while 6% want to wait a decade and 12% believe it should be longer.
Just 16% say there should not be a referendum at all.
The SNP is projected to win 55% of the constituency vote and 42% of the regional list vote, putting it on course for a majority.
An Ipsos MORI poll for STV previously put support for independence at 58%, once undecideds were removed - the biggest lead ever recorded.
SNP depute leader Keith Brown said: "This poll – the seventeenth in a row with a clear majority for Yes – shows that independence is becoming the settled will of the majority of people in Scotland.
"Faced with an arrogant, out-of-touch Tory government at Westminster, which side-lines Scotland at every opportunity, and is dragging Scotland out of the EU against our will, it's no surprise that people want a better future."
A Scottish Conservative spokesman said: "In the middle of a global pandemic and the devastation that it continues to cause, the last thing Scotland needs is a second divisive independence referendum.
"The Scottish Conservatives led by Douglas Ross are the only party with the strength to stand up to the SNP, protect Scottish jobs and move the country on from the divisions of the past."
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel