Nicola Sturgeon congratulates Donald Trump on presidential victory
(35 minutes later)
Scottish political leaders have expressed their shock and disappointment after Donald Trump won a surprise victory in the US election.
Scotland's first minister has congratulated Donald Trump on his surprise election win despite admitting it was "not the outcome I wanted".
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had backed the Democrat candidate, Hillary Clinton, ahead of the vote.
Nicola Sturgeon publicly backed Hillary Clinton ahead of the presidential vote.
But she insisted the "deep and enduring ties" between Scotland and the US would endure no matter what happened.
But she said the result of the election should be respected, and that Scotland valued its relationship with the US.
Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said it was a "dark day" and that Mr Trump had run a "hate-filled campaign".
Ms Sturgeon removed Mr Trump from a list of Scottish business ambassadors when he suggested Muslims would be stopped from entering the US.
She added: "While we must all respect the result of this democratic contest, today is a dark day for those of us who believe in compassion, tolerance and equality.
Her predecessor as first minister, Alex Salmond, has previously backed calls for Mr Trump to be banned from the UK.
"Donald Trump was responsible for a hate-filled campaign that was dominated by lies, misogyny and racism. As president-elect, he now has a responsibility to America and the world to heal the deep divisions he has caused."
Mr Trump is to become the 45th US president after a stunning victory over Mrs Clinton, the Democrat candidate.
Patrick Harvie, co-convener of the Scottish Greens, simply tweeted that it was "sickening".
The Republican nominee's victory came down to a handful of key swing states, despite months of polling that favoured Mrs Clinton.
And Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said the US was "turning inwards", and that the UK therefore has a "duty to advance Western democratic values".
As he addressed supporters at a victory rally in New York, Mr Trump said it was "time for us to come together as one united people".
But UKIP's leader in Scotland, David Coburn, insisted the new president would be a "good thing for Scotland" because of his long connections to the country.
Responding to the result, Ms Sturgeon said: "While this is not the outcome I hoped for, it is the verdict of the American people and we must respect it. I congratulate president-elect Trump on winning the election.
"We value our relationship with the United States and its people. The ties that bind Scotland and the US - of family, culture and business - are deep and longstanding and they will always endure."
'Tolerance and diversity'
Ms Sturgeon said the result had left many people in the US and across the world with a "real sense of anxiety".
She added: " I hope the president-elect will take the opportunity to reach out to those who felt marginalized by his campaign and make clear - in deeds as well as words - that he will be a president for everyone in modern, multicultural America.
"Today must also be a moment for those who share progressive values - all of us who believe in tolerance and diversity - to speak up loudly and clearly for the values we hold dear."
The first minister also paid tribute to Mrs Clinton, saying her candidacy had represented a "major step forward for women in America and across the world".
Donald Trump's Scottish roots
Donald Trump's Scottish roots
President-elect Trump's mother, Mary MacLeod, was born in the village of Tong on Lewis in the Western Isles in 1912.
President-elect Trump's mother, Mary MacLeod, was born in the village of Tong on Lewis in the Western Isles in 1912.
She left the island at the age of 18 for a holiday in New York, where she met and later married a local builder by the name of Fred Trump.
She left the island at the age of 18 for a holiday in New York, where she met and later married a local builder by the name of Fred Trump.
Their son Donald spoke of his late mother's Scottish heritage in 2006 when he bought the Menie Estate in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, turning it into a golf resort against the wishes of local residents.
Their son Donald spoke of his late mother's Scottish heritage in 2006 when he bought the Menie Estate in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, turning it into a golf resort against the wishes of local residents.
In April 2014, the 70-year-old US tycoon also purchased the Turnberry hotel and golf resort in Ayrshire.
In April 2014, the 70-year-old US tycoon also purchased the Turnberry hotel and golf resort in Ayrshire.
Speaking as Americans cast their votes in the presidential contest on Tuesday, Ms Sturgeon said she thought Mrs Clinton had the experience, strength and resilience to make a "good president".
UK Prime Minister Theresa May has also congratulated Mr Trump on his election as US president, and said Britain and America would remain "strong and close partners".
But Mr Trump later confounded expectations by winning the contest.
But several Scottish political figures have expressed their shock and disappointment over Mr Trump's victory.
As he addressed supporters at a victory rally in New York, Mr Trump said it was "time for us to come together as one united people".
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said it was not the result she wanted, and expressed her hope that "President Trump turns out to be a different man to candidate Trump".
'Respect the outcome'
Her Scottish Labour counterpart, Kezia Dugdale, said it was a "dark day" and accused Mr Trump of running a "hate-filled campaign that was dominated by lies, misogyny and racism".
Ms Sturgeon removed Mr Trump from a list of Scottish business ambassadors when he suggested Muslims would be stopped from entering the US.
And Scottish Greens co-convenor Patrick Harvie called on the Scottish government to shun Mr Trump, who Mr Harvie described as a "racist, sexist bully".
Her predecessor as first minister, Alex Salmond, has previously backed calls for Mr Trump to be banned from the UK.
However, UKIP's Scottish leader, David Coburn, predicted Mr Trump would be "good for Scotland" because of his strong connections to the country.
But Ms Sturgeon insisted: "The ties between Scotland and America are long-standing, they are very deep and they are enduring.
"And whatever the outcome of the election I will respect that outcome and will continue to work to ensure that those relationships, which are not just relationships of family and culture but also very important business and economic relationships, continue to be in good health."
More than 1,000 students from the University of Edinburgh packed into the city centre to watch the battle for the White House unfold at an event dubbed by organisers as "the largest US election night party in the UK outside of London".
Organised by Edinburgh University North American Society and the Edinburgh Political Union, the sold-out event in Potterrow saw TV screens beaming results live from across the Atlantic with experts from the school of history providing live analysis on the results throughout the night.
The US Consulate General also held an event on Tuesday night at Edinburgh University with hundreds of North American expats attending to watch the results come in.
Susan Wilson, principal officer for the US Consulate General in Edinburgh, said: "Tonight is our night to celebrate democracy in action. It's our night to celebrate the 200 million voting Americans who are making their voices heard.
"It's an exciting time. It's actually one of the most exciting parts of being an American. You really feel alive and more American than ever. Especially when you are mailing that absentee ballot and being a part of your civic responsibility even overseas."
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said much of the world had a "deep sense of unease" about the contenders to replace Barack Obama.
But she said Mrs Clinton had "more experience and a better temperament for the top job".
The endorsements of Mrs Clinton by Scottish politicians could backfire once Mr Trump formally become president, according to Fiona Hill, an analyst at the Brookings think tank in Washington.
She said: "It might actually matter because Donald Trump does take things quite personally.
"He's made it quite clear that when he has a rift on a personal and business level that he's quite serious about responding."
Both contenders have become actively involved in Scottish politics in recent years.
Global issues
Donald Trump unsuccessfully challenged SNP ministers in court over their decision to approve an offshore wind farm near his Aberdeenshire golf course.
And as US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton urged the Scottish government not to release the Lockerbie bomber from prison.
She also publicly opposed Scottish independence during the 2014 referendum.
The former US assistant Secretary of State, Kurt Volker, doubted that these past concerns would feature prominently in the new president's thinking.
He said that regardless of who won, the focus would be on global issues including Russia, the economy, Islamic State and forging a new relationship with the UK after Brexit.
Mr Volker also said President Obama had been wrong to warn that if the UK left the EU it would be at the "back of the queue" for a trade deal with the US.
"There's no appetite for trying to penalise the UK" he said.
