Nicola Sturgeon will fire the Scottish Government’s first major salvo of the 2014 independence debate in Fife.
The Deputy First Minister will deliver a keynote speech at St Andrews University on Monday, where she will say the campaign has entered a “two futures phase”.
She will challenge the Better Together campaign to publish its equivalent of the Scottish Government’s White Paper on independence so people can compare and contrast two futures as they make up their minds on how to vote next September.
However, she will claim no document will be forthcoming because those backing a No vote know the detail of the country’s future under Westminster is not likely to be supported by the majority of Scots.
She said: “For people in Scotland, 2014 will be a special year. On September 18 we will have the biggest opportunity we will ever have to build a better country.
“In these next nine months those of us who live in Scotland will have a rare privilege. The chance to do something that people elsewhere can only dream about.
“People in every country in the world will often look at, and question, the conduct of their national life, the way their public services are run, the way they are governed and how their economy is organised.”
The event, which is being billed as the Deputy First Minister “first-footing Fife”, will take place at 2pm on Monday in the university’s Parliament Hall, South Street.
A number of invitsations have been sent to academics and other public figures, but the event will also be open to the public.
Ms Sturgeon will outline her view that as the next year progresses, people will move towards voting Yes as they compare and contrast the alternative futures on offer.
She is expected to say: “I want to set out the kind of country I believe an independent Scotland can be, but I also I want to examine the kind of country Scotland will be if Westminster continues to take key decisions about Scottish life.
“Because this referendum is not between change and no change. It is about the kind of change we want and who we want to be in charge of it those of us who live and work here or governments at Westminster.”