Nicola Sturgeon has dramatically QUIT as Scotland's First Minister - saying she is passing over the baton in the country's "final" push for independence.
The SNP leader said she had been "wrestling" with the massive decision for a while, but said her head and heart told her the time to go had come.
Describing the "brutality" of political life, she said leadership involved "giving up everything", which had taken a huge physical and mental toll.
She told a hastily-convened press conference that she would remain in charge while a successor is found - and would not quit the Scottish Parliament until the next election.
But she told reporters in Edinburgh that she has yet to decide whether to stand again.
She said: “I’ve believed that part of serving well would be to know almost instinctively when the time is right to make way for someone else.
"In my head and in my heart I know that time is now."
She said the decision wasn't a reaction to "short term pressures" after a devastating poll showed public support for her leadership was waning.
Ms Sturgeon said that having become a polarising figure, she feared she might be holding back the battle for independence.
"I'm firmly of the view that there's majority support for independence, but that spirit needs to be solidified and it needs to grow further," she stated.
"To achieve that we must cross the divide... My judgement is that a new leader would be best placed to do that."
She said she has no intention of leaving the political arena and would continue to fight for Scottish independence - which she said was in its "final phase".
"I believe my successor, whoever he or she may be, will lead Scotland to independence, and I'll be there cheering them on," Ms Sturgeon said.
The First Minister said her resignation "frees the SNP" on the issue of Scottish independence "to choose the path it believes to be the right one without worrying about the perceived implications for my leadership".
She added: "My point is this, giving absolutely everything of yourself to this job is the only way to do it. The country deserves nothing less.
"But in truth that can only be done by anyone for so long. For me, it is now in danger of becoming too long.
"A First Minister is never off duty, particularly in this day and age there is virtually no privacy. Even ordinary stuff that most people take for granted like going for a coffee with friends or for a walk on your own becomes very difficult."
Ms Sturgeon, who has held the post since November 2014, has seen her popularity plummet in recent weeks, with a poll published at the weekend finding 42% of voters thought she should stand down now.
She will leave office as the longest serving and first female First Minister since the creation of the Scottish Parliament - but will not see her dream of independence come to fruition under her leadership.
But Ms Sturgeon has been mired in controversy in recent months as her Government sought to push through gender reforms, only for them to be blocked in Westminster.
She also stoked controversy when she claimed that the next General Election would be a "de facto" referendum on independence.
Her decision has been met by despair within her party.
Alison Thewliss, the SNP MP for Glasgow Central and the party's home affairs spokesperson, tweeted: "Absolutely gutted about this. Nicola has been an incredible leader."
Fellow SNP MP Stewart McDonald posted: "Nicola Sturgeon is the finest public servant of the devolution age.
"Her public service, personal resilience and commitment to Scotland is unmatched, and she has served our party unlike anyone else.
"She will be an enormous loss as First Minister and SNP leader."
Another SNP MP told The Mirror: "Like many, I'm devastated and in shock."
Scottish Health and Social Care Secretary Humza Yousaf, a potential candidate to replace Ms Sturgeon, said he is "gutted" to see her standing down.
"Gutted (Ms Sturgeon) is standing down, but I know hard she has reflected on this decision," he tweeted.
"I have had enormous pleasure of being in her Govt for the time she has been (First Minister), and I can safely say she has always put interests of the Country first, and governed for all of Scotland.
"She is right, politics can be brutal, it impacts on our relationships, our families and of course on our own physical and mental health.
"I hope the FM gets to experience some kind of normality upon standing down, she certainly deserves it."
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn MP said: "Nicola Sturgeon has been the outstanding political leader across Scotland, and indeed the rest of the UK, for a generation.
"As SNP leader, she has taken support for independence to record levels and won every national election, by margins other parties could only wish for.
"As Scotland's longest-serving First Minister, she led with distinction through the covid pandemic, and introduced a raft of progressive policies to make Scotland a fairer place.
"She is a formidable leader, a dedicated public servant and she will be sorely missed by myself, my party and people right across Scotland."
SNP staffer Nikita Bassi, who handles Ms Sturgeon's casework, said it was a "very sad and dark day in Scottish Politics".
Ms Bassi continued: "Nicola Sturgeon has been absolutely formidable during her time as First Minister. She has outshone every other leader in the UK and we are so sad to see her go.
" This decision clearly wasn’t easy for her but clearly the best decision for her. Big shoes to fill going forward."
Earlier this week the SNP signalled it planned to stick by its leader, with a party spokesperson telling the Daily Record: “Poll after poll consistently shows Nicola Sturgeon is the most popular leader of any political party in Scotland – by a very long way – and this poll is no different.
“Polls also clearly show people across Scotland have no confidence in the Tory Party or their leadership – whether it be the unelected Tory Prime Minister Rishi Sunak or his lackey, Douglas Ross.”
Bookmakers have installed Angus Robertson as favourite to succeed her, followed by Kate Forbes and Mr Yousaf.
Rising to power unopposed after the ill-fated independence referendum in 2014, Nicola Sturgeon took over from Alex Salmond.
She will stand down without realising her key political mission - independence for Scotland.
Her party will meet next month to discuss the holding of treating the next UK election as a "de facto referendum", with more than 50% of the vote being considered a mandate to begin negotiations for Scotland to become an independent country.
