McConnell hails G8 a success and apologises to the neighbours

The First Minister said the feedback he had received from everyone at the summit, including the world leaders, had been overwhelmingly positive and he was sure it would translate into a major boost for Scotland's global image and reputation.

He did acknowledge, however, that those living near Gleneagles and those who had suffered from the disruption caused by the violent demonstrators probably wished the G8 summit had never come to Scotland.

Some retailers were also less than impressed. "Shops have lost a huge amount of money but I can't quantify how much yet," said Rob Winter, a spokesman for the Princes Street Trade Association.

Fiona Moriarty, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said businesses in Edinburgh will have been hurt not just by poor sales and closures, but also by spending hikes.

"You have to remember it's not just sales losses that hurt businesses but the costs of extra security for shops, especially those in Edinburgh city centre," she said. "You have to provide security, extra surveillance, and make sure staff gets to work and gets home safely. It all adds up".

Despite these concerns Mr McConnell remained resolutely upbeat, claiming that the long term benefits were huge and that Scotland could now count itself in the "premier division" of countries for major international events.

The First Minister said: "It has probably been the first time in recent decades that an international summit of this kind has been attacked by anarchists and violent protesters without one single casualty having to stay overnight in hospital."

And he added: "This summit has contributed to making poverty history. It will change the shape of the world."

The First Minister accepted that some Scots would not have appreciated the side-effects of the G8 summit.

He said: "Those who live in Bannockburn, I would imagine, were wishing the G8 was in Asia rather than along the road at Gleneagles. I wouldn't blame them for thinking that, but right across Scotland there has been an incredible sense of national pride that this summit has come to Scotland and that our police force has shown itself to be one of the most professional in the world."

Mr McConnell also agreed that the 500 million worth of free publicity for Scotland, which was widely predicted before the summit, would have been damaged by the London bombings which deflected world attention away from Gleneagles.

He said: "The tragedy that took place in London yesterday, for the individual families and for the fear that it will bring the people of London over the coming months, is obviously more significant than advertising Scotland."

But he added: "There is no doubt that the international coverage there will have been of the bombings in London would have reduced the amount of time that these fantastic images of Gleneagles were seen on international television screens.

"But our objective was always primarily to influence those who were coming here and they left with an image of modern Scotland."

A spokesman for the deputy first minister said that the Scottish Executive was pleased by early economic indicators following the conclusion of the summit.