Nicola Sturgeon said the election is “not a good night for the SNP”, as the exit poll suggests the party could drop to as few as 10 seats.
The BBC/ITV/Sky survey was published as polls closed at 10pm, predicting a 170 seat majority for Labour across the UK.
Sir Keir Starmer’s party’s success appears to have extended north of the border, with the SNP losing 38 seats compared with the 2019 election.
Speaking on ITV, the ex-SNP leader reacted minutes after the exit poll suggested the massive loss to her party.
“This is not a good night for the SNP on these numbers,” she said.
“I think there will be a question about whether there was enough in the campaign to give out, effectively, a USP to the SNP in an election that was about getting the Tories out and replacing them with Labour.”
She added: “This is at the grimmer end of the expectations for the SNP if the exit poll is right and, from what I’ve said earlier on, I expect it will be.
“This is seismic for Labour. There’s no getting away from that, it’s a massive achievement for Keir Starmer.
“I think it will be interesting as the night progresses to see the extent this is driven by the Tory collapse as opposed to a Labour surge.”
The first result in Scotland is expected to be Rutherglen, which could declare at 1am.
Speaking on ITV, the former Scottish first minister said she believed the results of the exit poll would turn out to be “broadly right”.
As the polls closed the SNP leader and First Minister John Swinney praised the party’s people-powered campaign as polls across the country close.
“The SNP has fought a positive, upbeat campaign, firmly rooted in the values of the people of Scotland - on the impending Westminster cuts to public services, the damage of Brexit and where decisions about Scotland should be taken," he said.
“Scotland will be glad to see the back of this disastrous Tory government and I am confident that SNP votes across the country will make that happen.
“This election campaign has brought the SNP together and, crucially, broken the conspiracy of silence between Labour and the Tories on the disastrous impact of Brexit and the billions of cuts to public services coming down the line, as highlighted by the IFS.
“I am immensely proud of our people-powered campaign, which has taken our positive vision of a better Scotland to the doorsteps across every corner of our great nation, and I want to thank everyone who took the time to go to the polls today.
“The SNP have - and always will - put the interests of Scotland first. Those are our values and they will continue to guide us as we build that path to a fairer Scotland.”
Commenting as polls close, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: “I would like to thank all those across Scotland who have chosen change and put their trust in Scottish Labour.
“I am proud of the positive and hopeful campaign we have led and I am proud of our volunteers and candidates.
“This election was always about change and improving the lives of the people of Scotland.
“If the people of the country put their trust in Labour and give us the honour of forming the next government, then a Labour government will get to work straight away to serve the people of our country.
“For too long, Scots have been failed and let down.
“Labour is ready to put Scotland at the heart of government, to serve the people of Scotland and to deliver the change Scotland needs.”
Alba Leader and former First Minister Alex Salmond dismissed the idea that the predicted loss of SNP seats can be taken as a defeat for Scottish independence.
He said: “London commentators are crowing about seeing the back of the independence argument. But the slaughter of the SNP is not because independence. How could it be? The SNP did not even campaign on it. In reality the support for independence is strong. It is the SNP who are weak. The independence case must now find new vehicles to move forward.”
Should the exit poll be accurate and the SNP fall to 10 MPs from 48, the party will lose a substantial amount of funding. The SNP was awarded £1,301,552.04 of 'short money' in 2022/23 from being the third largest party in the Commons.
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