Nicola Sturgeon has said she is "determined to save Scotland from Brexit".

The First Minister condemned the UK Government after Theresa May made clear Britain will no longer be part of the single market when it exits the European Union.

The SNP leader said the Scottish Government will "continue to argue that our businesses should continue to be free to trade within the European single market".

She again attacked the Conservatives over Europe, accusing the party of putting its "obsession with immigration" ahead of the interests of the economy.

While the UK as a whole voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum, almost two-thirds of Scots who took part in the ballot wanted to stay part of Europe.

Ms Sturgeon declared: "I am determined to save Scotland from Brexit.

"It's not just the case that the Tories are running towards Brexit, they want to drag Scotland kicking and screaming over that Brexit cliff-edge and I'm determined they are not going to get away with this."

Speaking at First Minister's Questions at Holyrood, she insisted the "last thing our businesses need right now, whether they are in Scotland or in other parts of the UK, is to be ripped out of the world's biggest single market".

She added: "That is the future they face because of a Conservative Government's obsession with immigration, rather than putting the interests of the economy first.

"So we will continue to provide fair support through the business rates scheme to our business, but we will also continue to argue that our businesses should continue to be free to trade within the European single market."

Greens co-convener Patrick Harvie called for an update on the draft legislation for a second independence referendum.

He said: "The Scottish Conservatives may now be merrily trotting along behind the Brexit cheerleaders but it seems only five minutes ago that they were all for protecting our place in the single market, and we've heard from the Prime Minister empty words about considering Scotland's position but from everything else she says it seems she has already ruled out doing anything about it.

"So I do want to hear reassurances from the First Minister that there will be no delay to the legislation to keep open the option for the people of Scotland to decide for themselves whether they want to stay on the Brexit bus as it heads over that cliff."

Mr Harvie also called on the First Minister to rethink the Government's income tax policy in light of the potential impact of leaving the single market.

Ms Sturgeon said: "Scotland did not vote for the path that was set out by the Prime Minister on Tuesday and even more importantly, it is against our interests as a country, it puts jobs, it puts wages, it puts living standards, it puts investment on the line, and I think it threatens to fundamentally change the kind of country that we are - and not for the better."

She said the UK Government has so far not considered the Scottish Government's proposals on Brexit "with the seriousness that they merit".

She added: "The Scottish Government will continue to engage and continue to seek to further compromise, but be in no doubt - the time is fast running out for the UK Government to convince us that they care one jot about Scotland's interests, and if they don't then Scotland does face a choice.

"Do we go down the damaging path set out by Theresa May with all the impacts that we know that will have and in the knowledge that our voice doesn't matter within the UK, or do we decide to take our future into our own hands and take control of the future of our own country into our own hands?

"The difference between me and I believe Patrick Harvie and others in this chamber is that I believe that should be a decision for the Scottish people."

Ms Sturgeon insisted the Government's budget proposals are "fair, reasonable and progressive" and said it will continue to take action to mitigate the impact of "wrongheaded" decisions at Westminster.

She added: "But sooner or later there also comes a more fundamental choice, do we want to continue as a Parliament and as a country to be in the position of always having to mitigate the impact of decisions that are out of our hands and taken by a Tory Government at Westminster, that a majority in this country do not vote for, or do we want to take control of the future of our own country into our own hands.

"That's the choice that is looming for the people of Scotland."