NEIL Oliver has claimed he has been a “lightning rod” in a “war” with Scottish independence supporters since 2014.
The historian said he feels like he is “in a war of attrition” with nationalists despite his “very middle of the road” views about the Union.
In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, he said: “’I feel as if I’m in this entrenched position in a war of attrition.
“Since 2014, I’ve been a lightning rod for the nationalists because I spoke up in favour of the United Kingdom. It’s become an article of faith now that if you’re truly Scottish you would vote for independence and therefore if you’re in favour of the continuation of the United Kingdom then you are not Scottish.
“That’s just become a binary position that’s being pushed by a section of the population. But I grew up British and Scottish. I never gave it a second thought.
He went on: “The two terms are interchangeable to me and I never thought I was making any kind of political statement in any of it.”
Oliver sparked outrage last month he claimed Boris Johnson was forced to cut his trip to Scotland short over safety concerns. Scottish nationalists believed the comment to be directed at them – and particularly Ian Blackford.
But The National revealed the PM’s location was leaked to the Daily Mail by his own security team.
READ MORE: Revealed: Here's who let news of Boris Johnson's secret Scots hideaway slip
Oliver added: “With Boris Johnson, no one except him and his own people know why he left Scotland early to return to London.
“But there was certainly a perception that he’d been scared or chased out of Scotland and I thought ‘I don’t want even that suggestion about this country’.”
READ MORE: Neil Oliver panned over suggestion Boris Johnson was 'unsafe' in Scotland
Oliver is due to step down as NTS president this month.
It came after the TV presenter liked an anti-Black Lives Matter tweet and declared his “love” for controversian historian David Starkey.
Oliver insisted he had always planned to do no more than a three-year stint at the head of the heritage organisation.
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