Almost 40 per cent of Scots are less likely to back independence if separation plans appeared on course for the country adopting the euro currency, a new poll has revealed.

The poll by Redford and Wilton Strategies of 1,000 Scottish adults found that 39 per cent would be less likely to support the country’s separation from the rest of the UK if it would then be required to replace the pound with the European currency.

The study for the Sunday Telegraph found overall that 47% of Scots would vote against Scotland becoming an independence country if a referendum was held tomorrow, compared with 44% who would vote Yes.

The First Minister has suggested an independent Scotland would rejoin the European Union “relatively quickly”.

Pamela Nash, chief executive of Scotland in Union, said: “This is yet another poll which shows a majority of people in Scotland want to remain part of the UK.

“The strength of our pound has helped us protect jobs and the NHS throughout the Covid pandemic; yet the SNP wants to scrap the pound.

“Rather than obsess about how to divide communities and put people’s livelihoods at risk, the government should remain focused on the many years of recovery ahead.”

Speaking during the Holyrood election campaign, the First Minister stated she had no plans to call a separate referendum on whether an independent Scotland should join the EU.

Asked if there would then be a referendum on joining the EU after Scotland gained separation from the United Kingdom, Ms Sturgeon told said: “That’s not my policy.”

She added: “Just as in 2014 when people had a detailed prospectus on which to base their vote, that is my intention for a future independence referendum too.”

Writing for the Herald in May, Kirsty Hughes, founder of the Scottish Centre on European Relations, said that an independent Scotland applying to rejoin the EU “would have to commit to join the euro eventually though it would be unlikely to meet the criteria for joining straight away”, adding "it would join the non-Euro group of member states”.

The Sunday Telegraph claims that the poll suggests that the UK Government’s handling of Covid-19 vaccines may have boosted support for the Union in Scotland, with 57% agreeing that the early procurement of vaccines demonstrated its benefits.

But almost four in 10 of those asked said Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Government deserved most credit for the rollout in Scotland.

The Covid-19 vaccinations were procured on a found-nations UK basis but the Scottish Government is responsible for the rollout north of the border.”

The case for Scottish independence is set to be put back on the SNP’s agenda at the party’s autumn conference, which is taking place remotely in September.