The National:

SHE probably doesn’t need the advice, but when King Robert the Bruce says it is time for the second independence referendum it’s perhaps advisory for the First Minister to take heed.

Scottish actor Angus Macfadyen, pictured, who famously played the Bruce in Braveheart and has reprised the role of the king in a film due out this year, has tweeted a braveheart-felt plea to the First Minister.

He wrote: “Dear @NicolaSturgeon we Scots are ALL Robert Bruce, we Scots have huddled in our collective cave in the dark despair for three centuries now and we have heard the spider whisper in our ear ‘Opportunity for independence is here, use the mandate. Set us free’. Dare we seize the day.”

The tweet provoked the usual frankly unpleasant and dire Unionist troll responses from people who don’t exist because it’s only cybernats who do such things, isn’t it? But there was plenty of support for the actor’s call.

One Twitter user said: “Time to end this parliamentary Union. Then the people of Scotland can vote in a Govt of their own choice, which can only be better than Westminster circus.”

Another posted: “Think she is still keeping her powder dry at the moment.

“The current chaotic disaster that is playing out in the House of Commons is actually helping, I think, drive more people over to indy. I know it’s hard, doing my heid in actually, but we must stand firm.”