One of the best features of the SNP government is that it has put Scotland on the international map. Wherever I go, people want to talk about Scotland. As an economic asset, it's hard to quantify in pounds, shillings and pence - but is absolutely priceless.

For example, during Scotland Week in the States, the National Geographic Society's president, John Fahey, enthusiastically welcomed Scotland's international leadership as Alex Salmond challenged the world's scientists to reach the next level of innovation in marine renewables. It was a clarion call to action, with a £10m prize - the biggest single renewable energy award in the world. It's great for Scotland, potentially helping the whole planet.

This kind of thinking from Scotland's government - bold, imaginative and global - is what we need now and in the future. Both the challenges we face, and the opportunities we have before us, are massive. The question is: do the political parties have the vision to think big?

The past 12 months have been an exciting new chapter in Scotland's history. The country has an SNP government that wakes up every morning with the clear priority of how to deliver for the people of Scotland - with no political masters to please other than the people of Scotland. And that is precisely what Scottish democracy should be all about.

There is a sense of optimism that is inspiring people in and outside of the political sphere to work together, and to think with a wider horizon about what is possible.

There are still some politicians who have yet to catch up with this new way of thinking - and the opposition is clearly struggling to adapt.

It's no secret that I believe Scotland's future is as an independent country. My entire life experience tells me that nations are best governed when they are self-governed. I look with admiration and envy at the successful paths taken by countries that have claimed independence in the 20th century: Norway, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and many others.

Iceland declared its independence in the 1940s, and is now ranked as the most prosperous country in the world by the UN. (And Iceland's population of 300,000 is less than the size of Edinburgh!)

So we should all welcome a conversation on Scotland's future - secure in the knowledge that the people are the best arbiters of the country's course.

The SNP have already proven themselves capable of thinking dynamically about the future, while delivering powerful results that are improving the lives of people in Scotland today. The better the SNP govern, the stronger the support for independence and equality for Scotland becomes. That is why I am now convinced it will happen in my lifetime.

The 1997 referendum result marked one of the most important days in my life. Even then, though, I wondered about the scope to have a truly constructive conversation about Scotland's future, given the lack of media support for the SNP and independence.

Ten years later, the people spoke by electing a new type of government for Scotland. There is good news in Scotland - it's time to tell it like it is.

One year into a new Scottish government - and a new era - I believe that we are seeing only the beginning of what is possible.

Times Recommends

• Forces chief faces new battle - the economy
• Seven days that shook the world
• Icelanders wake up and smell ... the fish