A £1 million fighting fund has been created by the SNP, which will send volunteers to every household in Scotland to persuade people to vote for independence in a referendum.

Most of the money, £918,000, is from a bequest from the late Edwin Morgan, Scotland's former Makar, with party members also being urged to boost the war chest.

Campaign director Angus Robertson, the SNP's Westminster leader, announced the plans for the party's Roadmap to Independence at the SNP's conference in Inverness, saying: "Our independence campaign starts now. It's starting. The starting gun is being fired."

Mr Robertson promised "an unprecedented national campaign to secure the majority 'yes' vote for a sovereign independent Scotland".

He said: "We will galvanise and motivate our members and supporters, work with the many supporters of independence with no party affiliation and in other parties, engage with different sectors of society to build confidence and optimism in the independence case, and reach out within our communities, door by door, street by street, in the most unprecedented campaign of mobilisation and communication by the SNP and in the history of Scottish politics."

The announcement by Mr Robertson that the SNP was fully geared up for the campaign followed Alex Salmond's conference speech in which he said: "The days of Westminster politicians telling Scotland what to do or what to think are over.

"The Scottish people will set the agenda for the future."

Glasgow MSP Humza Yousaf likened his belief in SNP's independence campaign to his Indian grandfather joining protests against British rule.

He said: "Of course, his fight for freedom and self-determination was successful in 1947, with the creation of an independent and sovereign India and Pakistan.

"He could not have imagined that seven decades later, his grandson would be carrying on this proud family tradition."

Labour leader Iain Gray said if Mr Salmond thought Scotland wanted to separate from the rest of the UK "he would hold a referendum tomorrow".

He added: "He is delaying the legitimate right of Scots to have their say because he knows the people of Scotland will give him the answer he fears the most."

LibDem spokesman George Lyon claimed it was ridiculous that, after four days, the SNP was still keeping the date of the referendum secret.

He said: "There is no point talking about a roadmap when the referendum is locked in the garage and Alex Salmond won't tell anyone where he has hidden the keys. They have to stop ducking the question."

'