NICOLA STURGEON'S ambition of taking an independent Scotland into the EU was declared "dead" last night with at least four countries determined to block any bid.
All five countries have privately told UK ministers they are prepared to turn Scotland away
Spain, Belgium, Italy and Romania have privately told the UK Government "they will not accept" a breakaway country joining the international club.
And a senior Whitehall source revealed Hungary could also kill off the First Minister's dream of strolling seamlessly into the bloc.
All five countries have secessionist movements of their own, telling UK ministers they are prepared to use their veto over new members to turn Scotland away.
The source said: "The idea that Scotland would join the EU is dead."
It comes on the eve of the second anniversary of the 2014 referendum in which Scots decisively rejected the break-up of Britain.
One of the key planks of the SNP's White Paper on independence, said a separate Scotland would never leave the EU as it would enjoy "continuity of effect".
But this has been repeatedly debunked by constitutional experts while former Nationalist minister Alex Neil has now rejected claims it would "retain" membership.
The First Minister has suggested that she will call another second independence referendum if Theresa May fails to prevent a "hard Brexit" with the country outside the single market.
She argues the option needs to kept on the table to protect Scotland's interests after voters north of the Border backed Remain in June's poll.
But Scottish Secretary David Mundell will today challenge her to drop her Brexit "doom-mongering" and seize the "opportunities" of cutting ties with Brussels
The Tory Cabinet Minister branded her recent warnings of a "lost decade" caused by leaving as "increasingly alarmist".
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Mr Mundell insists that there is "no certainty" Scotland would be welcomed into the EU and even if it were this "would not be an attractive prospect".
Scotland would need to join the euro, pay more towards the EU budget and open its borders, potentially threatening free travel within the UK, he says.
In a speech in Glasgow he will also argue the case for preserving the Union is stronger than ever.
Mr Mundell said: "Doom-mongering warnings of a 'lost decade' and 'deep and severe' damage are becoming increasingly alarmist.
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"Objective observers might wonder if the aim is to provide bracingly frank analysis or to try and talk up the challenges of Brexit in the hope of making Scottish independence seem less of a risk."
Over the summer Nicola Sturgeon visited both Brussels and Germany as part of a charm offensive to retain EU membership, either as an independent nation or part of the UK.
But six European nations rejected her attempts of direct talks.
New members of the EU require all the other member states to agree so that just one country can veto an application.
Spain, Belgium, Italy and Romania are now said to be prepared to exercise this veto.
The UK Government source said: "All these countries have problems with separatist groups themselves and they have made it clear that they do not want to provide them with any encouragement by accepting Scotland into the EU.
"On top of those four, Hungary has also let it be known they might also veto Scotland."
The UK Government also insists the legal position is an independent Scotland would have to apply as a new member.
While some senior figures in Brussels have been warm about Scottish membership the source added: "In the end they can quote some comment they may have head in a Brussels cafe but the hard realities of the EU are that it takes 27 countries to each agree a new member."
SNP Brexit minister Mike Russell dismissed Mr Mundell's speech as "ridiculous".
He said: "Just a few months ago Mr Mundell, Ruth Davidson and many other Tories warned us of the disastrous consequences of leaving the EU - yet now they try and pretend that the UK offers some sort of stability or certainty for Scotland."
A Scottish Government source added: "We are not proposing to leave the EU - the people of Scotland voted overwhelmingly to Remain, and we are doing everything we can to protect Scotland's place in and relationship with the EU.
"Given the complete mess the UK Government has made of the EU referendum result and their relationship with the European Union, perhaps they should focus on improving their own relationships with EU governments rather than running around desperately trying to smear Scotland's reputation abroad."
