Theresa May has chosen to visit Scotland on only her second full day as prime minister to highlight her commitment to preserving the “special union” between the constituent parts of the UK.
The Tory leader will be in Edinburgh for a meeting with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
It will be the first time the pair have met since Mrs May took over from David Cameron.
They will hold talks at Bute House, with the issue of Scotland’s relationship to Europe likely to come up.
The prime minister will affirm the UK Government’s commitment to fully engaging with the Scottish Government in the forthcoming EU withdrawal negotiations.
Speaking before the trip, Mrs May said she believed in the UK – the “precious bond” between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – with “all my heart”.
She added: “I’m coming here to show my commitment to preserving this special union that has endured for centuries.
“I want to say something else to the people of Scotland too – the government I lead will always be on your side.
“Every decision we take, every policy we take forward, we will stand up for you and your family – not the rich, the mighty or the powerful.
“That’s because I believe in a union, not just between the nations of the UK, but between all of our citizens.
“Whether it’s reforming the economy or strengthening our society, we are going to build a better Britain and a nation that works for everyone – not just the privileged few.”
Ms Sturgeon said she hoped it would be a “constructive discussion”.
The SNP leader added: “It’s no secret to anybody that Theresa May and I hold very different political views and we’ve got perhaps different views on what should happen now in terms of the Brexit vote.
“My position is that I respect how people in other parts of the UK voted; I hope the prime minister will respect how people in Scotland voted.
“My job is to seek to protect Scotland’s interests and I’ve said I’m open to seeking to do that through the UK process. If I’m going to be able to do that then she has to make the process open and flexible.”
Ms Sturgeon has said a second Scottish independence referendum may be the only way to secure Scotland’s interests and protect its EU membership but she wants to “explore all options”.
She was speaking after the first meeting of the Standing Council on Europe, which she set up to advise the Scottish Government following the UK’s vote to leave the EU last month.