The SNP will open their conference in Glasgow on Thursday at "a crucial time for Scotland's future".

Around 3000 party delegates will descend on the SECC for the three-day conference, which will be kicked off with a welcoming address by the First Minister.

Nicola Sturgeon's morning speech will set out the SNP's response to Brexit and its ramifications for Scotland.

Her full conference speech on Saturday will outline new Scottish Government priorities on the NHS, education and the economy.

The party last met in March at the same venue for their spring conference before the Holyrood elections in May when the party lost their majority but were returned for a historic third term.

The SNP will seek to distinguish their vision for a "tolerant, inclusive and economically thriving Scotland" from the "intolerant, xenophobic" UK Government, deputy first minister John Swinney said.

His comments come after controversy last week's over rhetoric on immigration at the Conservative party conference, particularly comments made by home secretary Amber Rudd that firms could be forced to disclose details of foreign staff.

The UK Government has since rowed back on the proposals, saying any data collected on foreign workers would not be made public, with the home secretary adding it was "not something we are definitely going to do".

Speaking ahead of the SNP conference, Swinney said: "We are coming together to debate our future at a crucial time for Scotland and the rest of the UK.

"After nine years in office, the SNP continues to go from strength to strength.

"Our membership has more than quadrupled since the independence referendum, we won almost every single Scottish seat in last year's general election and in May we won an historic third term in office with an even higher share of the constituency vote than in our 2011 landslide.

"That success has been built on a record of competence, of hard work and in always standing up for the people of Scotland."

He added: "Scotland voted against the Tories and the people of Scotland voted by an overwhelming 24-point margin to remain in the EU yet we nonetheless face being dragged to the EU exit door by a Tory government at Westminster that we didn't vote for.

"And as the ugly reality of the Tory government's vision of Brexit Britain has become clearer in recent days, the choice we face has never been clearer.

"This weekend will see the SNP set out our vision for the tolerant, inclusive and economically thriving Scotland that we are determined to protect from an increasingly intolerant, xenophobic and economically reckless Tory government at Westminster."

The party conference will feature 35 debates and 120 fringe events.

Ahead of the conference, Scottish Labour compiled a report detailing "a decade of SNP government which is littered with broken promises, budget cuts and backward steps".

Party leader Kezia Dugdale said: "This week, the SNP will hold its tenth annual conference since it formed the Scottish Government. That is nearly a decade in power.

"From our NHS to our schools, our railways and our police services, it is the SNP that is in charge. It's time for Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP to take ownership of a decade of SNP government, which is littered with broken promises, budget cuts, and backwards steps.

"And then there was the biggest promise of all: that the 2014 independence referendum result would stand for a 'generation' and was a 'once in a lifetime opportunity'."

She added: "At the SNP conference this week, you will hear about another attempt to divide our country. But our country is already divided enough; we cannot afford to divide it again.

"Our economy does not need more uncertainty - it needs a fresh focus on job creation.

"That is why Scottish Labour will vote against any proposal for another referendum. There have been far too many broken promises from the SNP over the past decade - Nicola Sturgeon should not break her promise on a second independence referendum.

The Scottish Conservatives echoed Scottish Labour's call.

The party's chief whip John Lamont said: "There is one thing Nicola Sturgeon can do to support Scotland this week and that is to dump her threat of a second referendum on independence.

"Failure to do so will only confirm that this First Minister puts the minority interest of her party supporters before the majority will of people across Scotland.

"We need a government in Scotland which is 100 per cent focused on the day job, and which puts an end to the uncertainty hanging over Scotland's place in the UK.

"Scotland has spoken on independence. This week, the First Minister must show she has listened."