Scotland's historic ties with Europe must be protected in the wake of Brexit, the Culture Secretary has said as she stressed the importance of free movement of people to the creative industries and tourism.

Fiona Hyslop was speaking after she joined Brexit Minister Mike Russell to meet leading figures from the sector in Edinburgh.

The tourism sector in Scotland relies on more than 20,000 workers from other European Union countries, while a fifth (21%) of musicians and staff at the Scottish Chamber Orchestra are from the EU.

A "high proportion" of overseas staff are also an "important component" in the success of Edinburgh's festivals, according to the Scottish Government.

Ms Hyslop said: "Our ties with Europe are historic, and we need to protect them if we are to continue to reap the benefits - both from an economic perspective, but moreover to protect our commitment to human cultural and intellectual collaboration."

The Scottish Government has put forward a paper outlining plans to keep the country in the single market, even if the rest of the UK leaves.

The Culture Secretary said there are "strong signals" from Theresa May that "the UK is moving towards a hard Brexit", but she pledged Scottish ministers are "determined" to hold the Prime Minister to her commitment to give the paper "serious consideration".

Ms Hyslop added: "Freedom of movement within the EU allows our culture, creative industries and tourism sectors to recruit the best talent from across the EU, strengthening each sector's contribution to Scotland's economy and enriching our culture.

"I have heard the concerns of our industries first hand today, and I am determined to ensure their future prosperity is protected."

Scottish Tourism Alliance chief executive Marc Crothall said: "With the picture of post-Brexit Britain and the implications for our tourism business becoming clearer, it is important that we have regular dialogue and a place round the table with the Scottish Government and our public agencies to discuss the main issues and concerns which our tourism businesses are facing.

"Our priority will be to try to mitigate the negative effects of Brexit for our industry and influence supportive change at policy level to allow our tourism businesses to face the future confidently."