Passions rise over hunt bill

The Rural Rebels were present in the parliament

Click here for a live stream of the debate between 1300 and 1900 GMT.

Scotland has became the first part of the UK to ban fox-hunting, when MSPs voted to pass a bill to outlaw hunting with dogs.

A marathon debate in the Scottish Parliament ended at 1915GMT with MSPs deciding to pass The Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill.

The debate was marked by protests outside the parliament in Edinburgh and the official residence of the first minister, where one demonstrator was arrested.

The bill, which has taken more of the parliament's time than any other piece of legislation, has aroused strong passions on both sides of the fox hunting debate.

Campaigners protested against the ban

The Rural Rebels, in their trademark orange boiler suits, have emerged in recent months as the most vociferous opponents of the bill, which was sponsored by Mike Watson MSP.

They staged a noisy protest at Bute House, barracking ministers arriving for a meeting of the Scottish Cabinet. Protesters waved placards reading "Unjust, Unfair, Unfit".

There was a heavy police presence and by 0815 GMT one of the demonstrators had been arrested.

Noel Collins, a small holder from Ayrshire and a Rural Rebel, said: "These people are interested in their rights and they have been denied those rights.

Mass rally

"If MSPs wish to vote the Rural Rebels out of a job then they have a responsibility to understand the issues and the concerns that have been expressed.

"If they do not want the legitimate protest then the Scottish Parliament must respond to the legitimate concerns."

In the Borders, where half of Scotland's 10 mounted hunts are based, Kelso racecourse has been the venue for more demonstrations.

Scotland has 10 mounted hunts

Members of hunts from Britain and Ireland gathered for a mass rally organised by the Scottish Countryside Alliance.

SCA director Allan Murray vowed that they would "fight in every court in the land" to have the ban overturned.

In the parliament chamber, supporters accused MSPs who had placed amendments of trying to "wreck" the bill.

MSPs considered 107 amendments during the six-hour debate.

Thorny issue

A bid by a Tory MSP to delay the vote on the bill to another day was defeated.

Alex Johnstone said that the business of the day was too "complicated" to allow MSPs to know what the final shape of the bill would be.

Three amendments aimed at providing compensation for those made redundant by the ban were rejected.

And much confusion surrounded the possibility of a loophole that would allow mounted fox hunts to continue.

Some members claimed that hunts could proceed if hounds were muzzled and the fox was not killed by the dogs but was shot.

Mike Watson: Members' Bill

Meanwhile the anti-hunt lobby also held a demonstration in Edinburgh.