BORIS Johnson is on his first Scottish visit in more than six months this week as part of his bid to boost the Union.

But where is the Tory leader headed?  

While here the Prime Minister will conduct "a number of visits and a number of events to continue the engagement and working with people, businesses and sectors across Scotland," Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said.

Yesterday Chief Constable Iain Livingstone met with the Prime Minister at Police Scotland’s Tulliallan training college in Fife to discuss the policing of the COP26 conference.

Today Johnson will visit a renewable energy project in the north-east of the country.

Earlier this week Johnson was invited to Bute House to meet with the First Minister.

She said she hoped to discuss strategies to tackle and recover from the pandemic.

In a letter to Number 10, Sturgeon wrote: “I understand you will be in Scotland later this week and thought this might offer us an opportunity to meet in person in Edinburgh for a discussion on the current Covid situation and our respective plans for recovery — focusing, obviously, on the areas where it is important that our governments work together.

“I would be happy to welcome you to Bute House and hereby extend an invitation.”

Johnson has since declined the invitation.

Johnson has suggested a meeting with other first ministers at a later date instead.

In a letter to Sturgeon seen by the BBC, Johnson writes: "The UK Government is working closely with the devolved Scottish Government on a variety of different issues."

He added: "I look forward to meeting with you soon and working together in the interests of people in all parts of our country."

The last time the Prime Minister visited Bute House, in July 2019, he was booed mercilessly by protesters on the way in.

The Tory leader opted to leave via the backdoor on the way out.

At that meeting, shortly after he had replaced Theresa May, Johnson stressed he was a "passionate believer" in the Union.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon invites Boris Johnson to face-to-face talks in Bute House

Johnson's last visit to Scotland came at the end of January this year – despite there being strict lockdown rules in place. Johnson flew from London to Scotland while only essential travel was permitted, and visited Glasgow's Lighthouse Laboratory in an effort to show the Union’s strength during the pandemic.

He ignored Sturgeon’s warning that a stay-at-home lockdown was in place. Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove defended Johnson’s trip, arguing it was “important” for him to hear from frontline workers during the pandemic.

Johnson was then supposed to travel to Scotland to help the Scottish Conservatives campaign for the May Holyrood election. He had pledged just months earlier that “wild horses” would not stop him from travelling north to fight for the Union.

But in April plans for the Prime Minister to visit Scotland were dropped, suggesting the Scottish Conservatives feared his toxic ratings north of the Border would hurt their election efforts.

That's despite Johnson saying: "Wild horses won’t keep me away [from Scotland]."

READ MORE: Police 'scrap foolish Operation Bunter' code for Boris Johnson Scotland visit

Last year Johnson travelled to Scotland twice in the summer as independence support reached records highs of 58% in the polls.

The SNP’s longest-serving MP, Pete Wishart, joked that Johnson was the Yes campaign’s “greatest recruiting sergeant” as independence support seemed to increase when he travelled to Scotland.

Support for independence and support for the Union has been split roughly 50/50 in opinion polls for several months now. However, with a pro-independence majority in Holyrood and the SNP conference to be held in the coming weeks, senior UK Government figures appear keen to bring their pro-Union message to Scotland.

On his trip last year, Johnson went to Applecross, Orkney and Moray, where he met Douglas Ross as Jackson Carlaw had just stepped down as Tory leader.

The National:

Johnson's holiday to The Old School House in Applecross was cut short in August last year after his location was revealed.

He was supposed to be enjoying a two-week holiday with his partner Carrie, their son and their dog.

The Daily Mail published photographs of the Prime Minister’s cottage, which costs £1600 a week to rent but did not reveal where it was located. However, social media users quickly found out where Johnson was after some digging online.

READ MORE: Boris Johnson cuts short Scottish holiday as location is revealed

Sources told The Sun that Johnson could no longer stay after the location became public, saying the risk to the family included fears they could be “mobbed by Scottish nationalists”.

One senior Tory told the newspaper: “The finger of blame for this all getting out is being pointed at the SNP, particularly Ian Blackford who is local.”

Blackford, the SNP Westminster leader, rejected the claims. He said: “This is completely preposterous and at no point have I referred publicly to the PM’s whereabouts. It’s nothing to do with me and to be smeared in this way is unacceptable.”