Nicola Sturgeon is expected to be re-elected as First Minister later on Tuesday by her fellow MSPs.

The SNP will form their third term government following the election with a minority administration. This is the party's second stint as a minority government since legislative devolution.

STV News understands Sturgeon will face at least one fellow candidate with Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Willie Rennie also standing for the role.

Despite only having an obscure chance of victory Rennie will use the vote to reiterate key issues which his party campaigned on at the election.

In November 2014, at Sturgeon's first election among MSPs for the office of First Minister, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson launched a rival bid for the office.

STV News understands Davidson will not enter the contest this time.

The SNP won 63 seats in the recent Holyrood election, two short of the required 65 for an outright majority in the parliament.

Before the recent Holyrood election, the SNP leader said it was important to her to be elected as First Minister with a personal mandate from the voters.

She lacked this in her first term as she came to office during the middle of a parliamentary term following the resignation of Alex Salmond.

Sturgeon said: "It's been an immense privilege to do this job over the past 16 months but that privilege has made me all the more aware of just how much more there is to do in Scotland and how important it will be to me to have my own mandate as First Minister."

To complete the process of being re-elected as First Minister, Sturgeon will swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen in front of Scotland's most senior judge at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.

The oath will read: "I, Nicola Sturgeon, do swear that I will well and truly serve Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in the office of First Minister, so help me God."

After officially being re-elected to the office the SNP leader will begin to reveal her new Cabinet.

The appointment of ministers is expected to be completed by Thursday at the latest.