Or will it be the SNP conference Sturgeon? The one who spouts hate towards a sizeable chunk of the Scottish electorate.

“I detest the Tories” is what Sturgeon told the BBC on Sunday during her party’s conference in Aberdeen.

Following the inevitable backlash, her claim that she was actually talking about policies, rather than Conservative voters, was classic SNP spin. Similar dishonest deflection was deployed by deputy First Minister John Swinney.

Nicola Sturgeon (right) told Laura Kuenssberg: ‘I detest the Tories and everything they stand for’ (Picture: Russell Cheyne/WPA Pool/Getty Images)

It wasn’t only the First Minister attacking those with differing views, with Sturgeon’s supposed successor Angus Robertson stating his desire for a “Tory-free Scotland”. Sorry, Mr Robertson, but where exactly do you want me and around one-quarter of Scots to go?

Words are powerful, as Sturgeon and her senior colleagues are perfectly aware. When she expressed detestation of my party and its supporters, she knew exactly what she was doing.

Sturgeon is supposed to serve as First Minister for all of Scotland. Even if her initial attack had been about policies, I believe the word ‘detest’ goes beyond reasonable political discourse.

What kind of message does it send to our children and young people, who we teach not to hate anyone?

How does that sit with a self-styled “chief mammy” in Bute House barking hatred towards those who dare oppose her lifelong obsession of breaking up the UK?

The SNP like to talk about "civic nationalism” but the truth is, as we should continually acknowledge, the Scottish variant is exactly the same as nationalism the world over — fuelled by blaming someone else.

For the SNP, that someone else is us Tories, who are depicted as a malevolent force of laughably comic distortion.

Sadly, this ugly stooshie is likely to be considered as a job well done by Sturgeon and her SNP strategist husband Peter Murrell.

It served to vilify us Tories as panto villains; pacify her increasingly impatient and extreme base and distract from the SNP’s appalling 15-year track record in government.

But before they pat themselves on the back, they should take a moment to think of what they are doing to Scotland.

Such inflammatory rhetoric from the First Minister can only re-open the wounds of the 2014 referendum which caused deep division between friends and families.

More worryingly still, I believe there is a very real chance for Sturgeon’s comments becoming a dangerous dog-whistle,.

Just think back to the poison hurled at Tory party members attending the leadership hustings in Perth this summer.

As I said at the outset there are two versions of Sturgeon, depending on her audience.

I think most Scots would rather see more of the Sturgeon who opined to an Edinburgh Festival audience this summer that it’s wrong to brand political opponents as “evil and not to be countenanced”.

Russell Findlay is a Tory MSP for West Scotland

Sturgeon painting Tories as pantomime villains is a dangerous dog-whistle - Russell Findlay