HIGH-PROFILE support for Scotland's membership of the European Union demonstrates the door is open for the country to rejoin, according to SNP candidate Catriona MacDonald.

Leading academics, writers, and political thinkers have backed 'Europe for Scotland’, a new campaign group supporting Scottish EU membership on the continent.

In an open letter to leaders in Brussels and government heads of the EU27, it calls for them to make explicit before an independence referendum that Scotland will be welcomed back swiftly and under an exceptional process because of previously being a member.

“The EU can declare that, because Scotland has already long been part of the EU, should it become legally and democratically independent it need not apply as a ‘new’ accession candidate," they said.

“Instead, the EU and its member states should make a unilateral and open offer of membership: an exceptional proposal to match Scotland’s exceptional circumstances.”

Signatories to the letter include novelists Phillip Pullman and Elena Ferrante, human rights lawyer Katrin Oddsdottir, and philosopher Professor Slavoj Žižek.

Supporters from England include musician Brian Eno, author Neil Gaiman and novelist Ian McEwan. Outlander star Sam Heughan, actor Brian Cox, composer Nigel Osborne, crime novelist Val McDermid and Scots Makar Jackie Kay are also among the 200 signatures from across 30 European countries.

MacDonald is the SNP candidate for Edinburgh Southern at next Thursday's Holyrood election.

The seat, currently held by Labour MSP Daniel Johnson, is one of the most pro-EU constituencies in Scotland, which voted by 62% to remain in the EU referendum in 2016.

The National: Labour MSP Daniel JohnsonLabour MSP Daniel Johnson

READ MORE: EU leaders urged to say independent Scotland will be welcomed back

She said: “Edinburgh voted overwhelmingly to stay in the European Union due to the benefits for our economy and society. That vote was shamefully ignored when Labour and the Tories fell in line behind Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal. Now Scotland has an opportunity to regain our rights to work, travel, and trade across the world’s biggest single market.

"Europe for Scotland’ is the latest example of growing support for Scotland in European capitals. I am confident that we can build on our strong, historic relationships with our friends in Europe and take a seat at Europe’s top table. The door is open to us.

"We are a European capital. We have friends and neighbours who have moved here from across Europe and the world. Brexit does not reflect our values as an open, welcoming, city, but a better future is possible. The SNP is the only party standing in the Edinburgh Southern constituency that supports Scottish membership of the EU. Next week we can vote to make the first step towards rejoining the European Union.”

Senior politicians including French president Emmanuel Macron, Irish Taoiseach Michel Martin and recent European Council president Donald Tusk have previously made positive comments about Scotland’s relationship with Europe.

Edinburgh returned the highest pro-EU vote of any city in the UK with support of 74.4%. Every council region in Scotland voted to remain in the EU.

The SNP is the only party standing in the Edinburgh Southern constituency that supports Scottish membership of the EU.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wants to hold an independence referendum by the end of 2023 if the pandemic crisis is over and take an independent Scotland back into the EU.

Last month, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “We have left the EU. There is no case for rejoining.”

In January, LibDem leader Ed Davey, describing his party’s new EU position, said: “We are not a rejoin party.”

Edinburgh is home to tens of thousands of EU nationals, including almost 12,000 people from Poland, 4700 Irish citizens, 3500 Germans, 2000 people from France, and 2000 people from Spain.

Thousands of young people from Scotland benefited from the Europe-wide Erasmus education exchange programme. However, the UK Government turned down proposals for Scotland to remain in the programme following Brexit.