The Scouts have criticised the SNP after a woman wearing the beloved charity's uniform was included in a party political broadcast.
The youth organisation maintains a strictly neutral stance when it comes to politics and tells all adult volunteers to be cautious when expressing opinions publicly.
The Nationalists' latest TV advert featured a cross-section of ordinary Scots who claim they have changed their minds on independence and would now vote Yes at a future referendum.
Among those featured was a woman named as Helene from Kirkhill.
Wearing a clearly identifiable Scouts uniform, she said: "For my children, I feel that an independent Scotland is going to offer them the opportunity to be part of something bigger."
Scout rules explain that "members of the movement in uniform, or individuals when acting as representatives of the movement, must not take part in any party political meetings or activities that endorse any particular political party or candidate".
A spokeswoman for the Scouts said: "The Scout Association is not connected with any political body and has rules which state that members when in uniform or when representing the Scouts must not endorse any political party or candidate.
"We have spoken to the SNP, reported the situation to OSCR (the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator) and the issue has been investigated at a local level through our complaints procedure.”
The Record revealed in June how the Scouts was one of several children's charities to face a cash crisis after lockdown saw all of its outdoor centres close.
The facilities are a valuable source of income for youth organisations but they have been unable to open during the normally busy summer months.
Chief executive Katie Docherty said she had tried to engage with Holyrood ministers but was left frustrated with the response.
"The Scouts has been around for 115 years - we've been through two world wars and a great depression, but this is the most serious challenge we've ever faced," she said.
Scottish Conservative MSP Miles Briggs said: “The SNP have questions to answer about how they let this happen.
“They’ve been caught out blatantly trying to misrepresent the Scouts and drag them into politics.
“This must be investigated further and the SNP need to apologise for misleading the public.”
An SNP spokesman said: “The Chief Scout appeared on stage at Tory party conference in his full uniform in 2017, so we’re somewhat surprised by these comments.
“It is also disappointing to read this media statement today given we engaged with Scouts Scotland several months ago when this broadcast was first on TV.”
