Angus Robertson has been named SNP Depute Leader.

The MP for Moray, who is also the SNP's leader at Westminster, gained 52.5 per cent of the vote, defeating fellow contenders Edinburgh East MP Tommy Sheppard (25.5 per cent), Alyn Smith MEP (18.6 per cent) and Inverclyde councillor Chris McEleny (3.4 per cent).

The results were announced at the start of the SNP's national conference in Glasgow.

Robertson said he was "absolutely bowled over" by the result.

He said: "I think it makes perfect sense for the leadership team of the SNP to be made up by our leader in the Scottish Government and parliament, Nicola Sturgeon our First Minister, and the leader at Westminster.

"Our leadership team reflects Scotland, Nicola as a fantastic representative of this great city in central Scotland, myself as a parliamentarian living, working and representing in a part of rural Scotland."

He added: "We are the most effective political party in this country, our strength comes from our members, our branches, our local grass-roots campaigning and our partnership with councillors and parliamentarians.

"We have big challenges ahead and big opportunities.

"We are very, very close to independence and we must start campaigning right now to persuade people who did not vote Yes in 2014.

"I believe that the SNP Depute Leader has a big job to make this happen and I will work with Nicola Sturgeon to make this happen."

“This Depute Leadership election has been about who can best work as a team with SNP Leader Nicola Sturgeon, involve grassroots members, councillors and parliamentarians into the most effective force to deliver independence for Scotland. It is a huge honour to have been elected by the members of the SNP to serve as the Depute Leader and bring that vision to life. We should be very proud in this party about the positive, constructive and collegial campaign that has been run. And I would like to thank my fellow candidates Tommy Sheppard, Alyn Smith and Chris McEleny for the way this campaign has been run and for the constructive conversations that this campaign has allowed us to engage in.

“Leadership, Grassroots and Independence - those are the themes my campaign were run on and those are the themes my role as Depute Leader of the Scottish National Party will encapsulate.  

“I think our leadership team representing both urban and rural Scotland is a good thing for the Scottish National Party. We aspire to represent the best interests of everyone in Scotland no matter where we come from. We also stand for the best interests of all parts of Scotland. That is why we are the Scottish National Party - representing all parts of this nation.

“The SNP is the most effective political party in the country. Our strength comes from our members, branches, local grassroots campaigning and partnership with councillors and parliamentarians.”

He succeeds Stewart Hosie, who stepped down last May.

A former BBC journalist, Robertson reportedly joined the SNP aged 15 after being handed a leaflet by Charlie Reid of The Proclaimers.

He was elected MP for Moray in 2001.