Gilbert, who had looked to tread a neutral path during the referendum, said both sides now needed to come together and move forward united, adding that regardless of the outcome, Scotland could look forward to a "prosperous future".

"Scotland has long been a world leader in business sectors such as oil and gas, whisky and investment and the task now is to grow the rest of the economy with the strong support of politicians of all parties," he said in a statement.

(Reporting by Simon Jessop; editing by Carolyn Cohn)