Most Scots want the UK to retain nuclear weapons and remain a member of Nato, a poll has found.
It comes as the future of the defence organisation and its possible expansion has been thrust into the spotlight following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
A survey of 1,000 adults north of the Border found 58 per cent backed the UK keeping nuclear weapons, with 20 per cent against and 23 per cent saying they didn't know.
The SNP and Scottish Greens are both firmly opposed to nuclear weapons being kept in Scotland.
If Scots were to vote for independence in the future it would prove a major headache for UK defence bosses as there is no obvious replacement for the Faslane naval base on the Clyde.
The SNP was previously opposed to an independent Scotland joining Nato but reversed that position in 2012.
However the Greens still argue against Scotland joining the defence organisation in the future - despite Vladmir Putin's aggression in eastern Europe.
The poll by Survation found that 82 per cent of Scots ranked UK membership as "important", while nine per cent rated it as "not important" and a further nine per cent didn't know.
Scotland in Union, which commissioned the survey, said it was proof Scots wanted to maintain a position of influence in the world.
Chief executive Pamela Nash said: “As proud Scots, maintaining our position and influence in the world is key.
"And it’s clear from this opinion poll there is little appetite to diminish our global standing.
"SNP politicians are frequently trying to put themselves on the global stage, yet they remain driven by an insular ideology that would put an extra border between us and the world.
"They are ready to walk away from the power for good and influence that we have at the G7 and the UN, and to diminish our standing in Nato, which has been key to our peace and safety for decades.
"Scottish people want to continue to participate fully in the world, to make the most effective contributions to global institutions, and to retain the benefits of our membership.
"Remaining part of the UK is the best way to protect and enhance Scotland’s global influence, and to support our friends and allies across the globe."
Ross Greer, external affairs spokesman for the Scottish Greens, said: Ross Greer MSP said: "Nuclear weapons cannot discriminate between military and civilian targets.
"They are world-ending weapons of mass slaughter. No-one wins a nuclear war.
"Beyond that moral case though is the financial outrage of the Westminster government spending hundreds of billions of pounds on a new nuclear arsenal whilst refusing to help families struggling through this cost-of-living crisis.
"The Scottish Green Party will continue to make the case for an internationalist and nuclear-free independent Scotland, one which plays a role in peace building and diplomacy through organisations like the EU rather than isolate itself as Brexit Britain has done."
An SNP spokesman said: "An independent Scotland’s security and safety is best guaranteed as a non-nuclear member of Nato, just like Denmark and Norway."
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