President Michael D Higgins is to meet Scotland’s first Minister later this afternoon, on his first day of an official visit to Scotland.

The trip was planned long before the EU referendum, but it is expected Nicola Sturgeon will seek to build bridges with the Irish president in the wake of the Brexit vote.

Scotland voted by 62% to remain in the EU.

At the weekend Nicola Sturgeon raised the possibility of the Scottish Parliament blocking the UK’s departure from Europe.

President Higgins is on a three-day trip to Scotland, which will also see him address the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday.