Transport Minister Humza Yousaf has told MSPs that "ScotRail has learned lessons" following a series of problems on Scotland's railways.

In an emergency statement at Holyrood, he apologised to rail passengers who have been affected by disruption.
It came on the day commuters faced severe disruption after overhead wiring problems affected services in Glasgow.
ScotRail declared a major incident after finding a broken insulator between Partick and Glasgow Central.
The rail operator said the issue caused disruption and cancellations between Glasgow Central and Dalmuir, Milngavie and Maryhill.
There has been widespread criticism of the reliability of ScotRail trains since Abellio took over the franchise.
Abellio has said the terms of the contract meant government ministers were responsible for overcrowding on the network.
In the Scottish Parliament, Mr Yousaf admitted that ScotRail's performance was not "up to scratch" but he said it was higher than the UK average.
He also outlined a series of actions and investments Scotrail will make.
They include an earlier commuter service between Inverness and the central belt, which will begin in mid-December, and the addition of carriages to peak services on the Borders Railway in a bid to reduce overcrowding.
The minister said: "Everyone rightly expects a railway network that operates effectively. So when things go wrong I fully understand the dissatisfaction of passengers and the inconvenience that is caused.
"Although there are no guarantees major failures won't happen, I give my reassurance that ScotRail has learned lessons and is far better prepared for contingencies, including communication with passengers, when such incidents do take place."
He added: "I know about the work that is required and the service that is to be delivered. I am taking action and a plan is now in place. This government has a track record of delivering for our railways and it is my firm intention that we will continue to do so."
In his statement, Mr Yousaf also highlighted:
ScotRail was ordered to produce a performance improvement plan in September after punctuality and reliability fell below the expected standard.
At Holyrood, the minister faced calls to publish the plan in full from Liberal Democrat Mike Rumbles.
Mr Yousaf agreed to speak to ScotRail about its publication in the interests of "accountability and transparency".
Scottish Labour's transport spokesman Neil Bibby said the rail service has become worse since the improvement plan was demanded.
He added: "His handling of the rail crisis has seen him fall out with Abellio, Network Rail and the transport unions.
"Humza Yousaf claims he's not a transport expert - and he's right. Humza Yousaf must ditch the spin and publish his 246 point improvement plan in full."
Murdo Fraser, of the Scottish Conservatives, said it was time the government started taking responsibility for the railways' poor performance.
The latest performance data showed 86% of ScotRail trains were on time or less than five minutes late between 16 October and 12 November, with wide variations in reliability across the country.
ScotRail's figures remained better than the average for all UK train operators - with the company also enjoying better than average customer satisfaction figures when the latest data was published earlier this year.
But Abellio's contract to run the ScotRail franchise requires the company to ensure 91.3% of trains arrive within five minutes of schedule.
The Scottish government can cancel the contract if performance drops to 84.3% for three months in a row.


Former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden, who leaked details of US electronic surveillance programmes, says he achieved his aim.

"In terms of personal satisfaction, the mission's already accomplished," he told the Washington Post.
"I already won," said Mr Snowden, whose extensive leaks have caused a reassessment of US surveillance policy.
The 30-year-old was interviewed in Russia, where he was granted temporary asylum on 1 August.
Mr Snowden fled the US in late May, taking a huge cache of secret documents with him. He faces espionage charges in the US.
Read more in our in-depth report
How the US spy scandal unravelled
Profile: Edward Snowden
"As soon as the journalists were able to work, everything that I had been trying to do was validated. Because, remember, I didn't want to change society. I wanted to give society a chance to determine if it should change itself," he told the newspaper.
"All I wanted was for the public to be able to have a say in how they are governed," Mr Snowden said.
Last week, a federal judge declared the mass collection of telephone data unconstitutional and a presidential advisory panel suggested reforms.
Both the judge and the panel said there was little evidence that any terrorist plot had been thwarted by the programme.
A few days later, in his end-of-year news conference, US President Barack Obama suggested there might be a review of surveillance by the NSA.
In light of "disclosures that have taken place" and public concerns about the programmes, there might be "another way of skinning the cat", he said.
However, he accused Mr Snowden of causing "unnecessary damage" by leaking documents.
President Obama said he would make a "definitive statement" in January about recommendations by the White House panel.
The NSA, accustomed to watching without being watched, faces scrutiny it has not endured since the 1970s, or perhaps ever, the Washington Post reports.
Mr Snowden told the newspaper he had no way of knowing whether the public would share his views.
"You recognise that you're going in blind... But when you weigh that against the alternative, which is not to act, you realise that some analysis is better than no analysis."
Later, the UK's Channel 4 revealed that Mr Snowden would deliver its "Alternative Christmas Message" on Wednesday - the broadcaster's answer to Queen Elizabeth II's message to the nation.
In his first TV interview since arriving in Moscow, Mr Snowden would talk about "why privacy matters", it said.
"A child born today will grow up with no conception of privacy at all. They'll never know what it means to have a private moment to themselves, an unrecorded, unanalysed thought," he was quoted as saying.
"The conversation occurring today will determine the amount of trust we can place both in the technology that surrounds us and the government that regulates it. Together we can find a better balance, end mass surveillance and remind the government that if it really wants to know how we feel, asking is always cheaper than spying."
More details of people and institutions targeted by UK and US surveillance were published last week by The Guardian, The New York Times and Der Spiegel.
The papers said the list of about 1,000 targets included an EU commissioner, humanitarian organisations and Israeli officials including a prime minister.
US technology giants including Google, Microsoft and Yahoo are taking steps to block the collection of data by their government.
In October, news that the NSA had monitored the phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel triggered a diplomatic row between Berlin and Washington.
Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff was also angered by revelations that the NSA had hacked the computer network of Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras to collect data on emails and telephone calls.


Labour received more than 160,000 applications to vote in its leadership contest in the final 24 hours of registrations, the party has said.

The number of applications via trade unions more than doubled and the number of party members and Â£3 registered supporters also rose.
It takes the potential total electorate in the leadership contest to 610,753.
Labour says checks are still taking place on all new members to weed out non-party supporters.
In other developments:
The Labour Party has sharply increased in size since May's general election, with tens of thousands of people either becoming full members or registered supporters, thought to be driven to a by a social media campaign by supporters of left wing MP Jeremy Corbyn.
The latest figures, tweeted by the party, are of 189,703 affiliated union members, 121,295 registered supporters and 299,755 members.
Labour said all the numbers were subject to change as it continued to verify all the applications.
In figures released by Labour on Tuesday, the total was 444,000.
At the general election Labour had just over 200,000 full members.
It appears some unions waited until the final day to present their voter applications.
Details of the new supporters signed up through trade unions will be handed to all four campaigns in 10 days' time.
But Mr Corbyn's rivals fear his campaign will already have access to the data, giving him an advantage when it comes to canvassing for votes.
That is because most of those who registered through trade unions are thought to be Corbyn supporters.
All four campaigns are understood to have raised the issue at meeting with party officials on Tuesday, where they sought assurances that there would be a "level playing field", sources say.
The Liz Kendall, Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper campaigns followed this up with a letter to party HQ asking for the data to be released as soon as possible.
At-a-glance profiles of the four contenders
Backbench MPs Graham Stringer, Barry Sheerman, John Mann and Simon Danczuk have meanwhile called for the process to be halted.
Mr Stringer predicted the party would be subjected to the "chaos of legal process".
He told LBC: "I think if the election isn't paused that would be a shame and I think probably that people will take legal action because the rules are not being  implemented properly."
Mr Mann said it was a "free for all".
Labour has dismissed such fears, saying "robust" measures are in place to "weed out" bogus applications.
Another MP, Diane Abbott, told BBC News claims of infiltration by members of other parties were "silly", saying Labour was "bending over backwards" to ensure no foul play.
Ballot papers will begin to be sent out on Friday, and the result announced at a special conference on 12 September.
After the deadline passed, Mr Corbyn tweeted support for Labour's "robust selection system in totally new circumstances" and said the party had to united and defeat the Conservatives in 2020.


China's only aircraft carrier has led several warships across the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan's defence ministry said.

The Liaoning was returning from drills in the South China Sea.
It did not enter Taiwanese waters but did cross its air defence identification zone (ADIZ), the ministry said.
It is the latest escalation amid tensions between the two neighbours, and Taiwanese authorities have asked the public to remain calm.
In response, Taiwan's military monitored the flotilla of Chinese ships as it passed through the 160km-wide (100-mile) strait, Taiwan's defence ministry said.
China considers self-governing Taiwan part of its territory, to be reunited with the mainland by force if necessary.
Tensions have been high since US President-elect Donald Trump broke with long-standing diplomatic protocol and took a congratulatory phone call from Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen.
What's behind the China-Taiwan divide?
The head of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, Chang Hsiao-Yueh, said the authorities were monitoring China's actions and appealed for calm.
"I want to emphasise that our government has sufficient capability to protect our national security. It is not necessary to overly panic. On the other hand, any threats would not benefit cross-strait ties at all. Together we should show mutual good will."
China has increased military drills near Taiwan, and spoken of "increased levels of uncertainty" in relations with the island.
A diplomatic row was again kicked off when Ms Tsai visited the US at the weekend in transit to Central America and met officials, despite protests from Beijing.


Macedonia's June election has been postponed after the constitutional court moved to halt electoral activities, amid intense pressure at home and abroad.

Opposition parties have boycotted the election because of prolonged political turmoil that has rocked the former Yugoslav republic.
The court declared the dissolution of parliament unconstitutional.
Parliament then reconvened and agreed to cancel the vote.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said conditions for the June poll "were not there" and all main political parties in the Balkan nation should now address the serious issues at the heart of the crisis.
In particular, she demanded the immediate rescinding of pardons handed down in April to 56 people implicated in a wiretapping scandal that sparked the turmoil in February 2015. A US embassy statement echoed the appeal, warning against "selective justice".
Macedonia president halts wiretapping inquiry
Protesters ransack president's office
Macedonia - profile of Balkan nation
Opposition leader Zoran Zaev accused the government last year of tapping the phones of more than 20,000 people, including politicians, journalists and religious leaders.
He produced a steady stream of recordings and made a series of allegations from corruption in the upper echelons of government to covered-up killings.
The government denied the accusations and said Mr Zaev was trying to destabilise Macedonia. Former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski stepped down in January and was among those pardoned by President Gjorge Ivanov on 12 April.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn helped secure a deal last year for a special prosecutor to investigate the wiretaps and for early elections but the agreement has all but broken down.
The president said in April that he wanted to "put an end to the agony" of the investigation and defend national interests ahead of the June vote.
His move led to outrage among opposition parties and thousands of protesters took to the streets of the capital, Skopje and ransacked the president's office.
The president's decision left only Mr Gruevski's ruling VMRO DPMNE party planning to stand in the election. Further demonstrations involving both sides have been taking place for the past three weeks.
Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg added his voice on Wednesday to calls for President Ivanov to revoke the April pardons. Macedonia has ambitions of joining both Nato and the EU.
"The door of Nato is still open, but it is crucial that the country's leaders address problems on the rule of law," Mr Stoltenberg said.
German diplomat Johanes Haindl is due to visit Macedonia on Thursday for talks with political leaders.


Snooker player Sydney Wilson says practising to make it as a professional cueman can be "mundane and repetitive".

The 25-year-old from Southend won Q School in May to earn a first tour card and guarantee a chance to qualify for every ranking and European Tour event.
But he says that playing "between six to 10 hours a day" to improve your game can begin to get frustrating.
"You do get tired of it, it does get very mundane and repetitive, but it has to be done," he told BBC Essex.
"I'm sure all of the guys who take the game seriously are putting in the serious hours," he added.
"I think the guys at the top of the game have already done all the hard graft in practice and got to a certain level where they are so good - they're playing all the time and in every tournament."
Wilson, who has played in amateur events from Gloucester to Barnsley and Doncaster, is currently at the Riga Open in Latvia and will play former world number one Judd Trump on Friday.
But he says that as he tries to make his way in the professional game, he needs to rely on his father for financial support.
"Currently my dad helps me a lot. He's essentially my sponsor," Wilson added.
"The idea of the whole thing is that someday I can pay him back."


Telecoms firm Orange has been fined €350m (£254m) for abusing its market dominance in France.

The country's anti-trust authority said Orange, which was formerly France Telecom, kept business clients from switching to competitors' phone services.
The firm will not appeal against the decision, and said it would adapt its practices based on the ruling.
An Orange spokesman said the fine would have "no impact" on financial results.
Orange used anti-competitive discounts to discourage business customers from leaving, the Autorite de la Concurrence said.
The firm also used discriminatory practices toward other fixed-line operators that lacked access and inside information about France's copper line network.
The Orange mobile network was bought by France Telecom, the state phone monopoly, in 2000.
France Telecom then changed its name to Orange in 2013.
The UK business of Orange merged with T-Mobile in 2010 to form EE.


Facebook's European boss Joanna Shields is to leave the social network to lead the UK government's investment group for technology start-ups.

The Tech City Investment Organisation (TCIO) supports firms based near the Silicon Roundabout area of east London.
Ms Shields will replace current head Eric Van Der Kleij in January 2013.
"Joanna's experience will be hugely valuable in supporting Tech City as it goes from strength to strength," Prime Minister David Cameron said.
"The success of Tech City shows just what can happen when we back some of our most innovative and aspiring companies to grow, helping the UK compete and thrive in the global race."
Ms Shields has been Facebook's vice-president and managing director of Europe, Middle East and Africa since 2010.
Prior to that she worked at Google and teenage-focused social network Bebo.
"Working in the UK for the past decade has proven to me that this country has the potential to become a major force in digital innovation," she said.
"The seeds have been sown in east London for a dynamic and successful cluster: we have the infrastructure, the technology and the talent, now we need to accelerate the growth. I am looking forward to leading the Tech City Investment Organisation in the next phase of its development.
"With the right boost now, there is no reason why we can't make London the number one location for tech in the world."
By Rory Cellan-JonesTechnology correspondent
Now I'm sure that Joanna Shields is relishing the challenge of her new job as a standard-bearer for British technology firms. But it must be easier to leave Facebook now than it was just a few months ago when the social network was the hottest, fastest growing, most exciting company on the planet. And if more of its top talent decides that there are now more interesting challenges elsewhere, that could be a big problem.
Ms Shields will be seen as a key component if the UK is to encourage successful start-ups to begin trading on the stock market.
Unlike the US's Silicon Valley - with the likes of Google and Facebook among its success stories - similarly aspiring companies in Britain have been reluctant to go public.
To aid in this, government adviser for technology Rohan Silva is leading efforts to relax the rules for financial listing and reporting. It is hoped making it easier for UK companies to go public will entice a greater number of foreign investors.
Companies such as Mind Candy, which runs children's social network Moshi Monsters, and gig recommendation site Songkick are tipped as potential candidates to list on the London Stock Exchange.
The BBC understands that music-streaming service Spotify - which was founded in Sweden - is also among the firms the government is keen to encourage to begin trading in the UK.
TCIO was set up in April 2011 with the intent of raising the profile of UK technology companies, particularly the start-up scene.
Its role includes promoting the UK as a place for prospective entrepreneurs to move to in order to set up their own businesses.
However, the quango was criticised in June for operating in a way that was "potentially counterproductive".
Think tank Centre for London raised concerns over skill shortages and rising costs of working in the area.
At social gatherings in the area, TCIO was regularly criticised for not publicising its events or services well enough.
To counteract this, the organisation hired Benjamin Southworth as deputy chief executive in July. Mr Southworth had previously been part of 3Beards, the group behind several key industry social events.
Facebook has not yet named a successor for Ms Shields.


US manufacturing giant General Electric has agreed a deal with Chinese technology and smartphone giant Huawei to help it improve production.

GE hopes that by connecting all areas within a production process via the internet it can improve productivity, lower costs and reduce emissions.
It predicts that the improvements will help it to save $500m (Â£381m) this year.
Both sides see the concept as a key step towards "smart manufacturing."
Shenzhen-based Huawei is one of the world's biggest smartphone vendors behind Apple and Samsung.
Huawei's executive board director, William Xu, said he was "very pleased" with the deal.
"The next ten years are an important period for the traditional economy to move to a digital economy... Companies can not cope with all the challenges alone," he added.
The move came as GE said that it still saw plenty of opportunities in China, despite the country's slowing growth.
"Yes the economy is growing at a slower growth rate... (but) it's the the world's second-largest economy so there's plenty of opportunity," said GE vice chairman John Rice, speaking in Shanghai.
China's economy grew at an annual rate of 6.7% in the first quarter of the year, its slowest quarterly growth for seven years.
Mr Rice also said the fall in sterling following the outcome of the EU referendum vote would boost the company's exports.
The US-based multinational firm is a huge conglomerate, whose business interests include everything from manufacturing jet engines, to providing firms with finance, developing software, and making consumer goods such as dishwashers and coffee-makers.


Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Arijan Ademi has been banned for four years for failing a drugs test following the Champions League win over Arsenal.

The 24-year-old Macedonia international played the full 90 minutes of the shock victory in Zagreb on 16 September.
Ademi said: "I am not guilty and I didn't do anything wrong. I don't know what to say about this suspension. I feel awful right now."
Coach Zoran Mamic said the club will appeal and called it a "humiliation".
Mamic told the Zagreb website: "Ademi and experts proved his supplement was infected with a prohibited substance and he didn't know what kind of supplement he was using.
"That is why I can't understand this decision made by Uefa.
"A four-year suspension is a stupidity. How would Uefa punish Arsenal, Bayern, Manchester or some other big club?
"We will fight for him and for his case because Ademi is a brilliant young guy, player and a vice-captain.
"We want to protect him, protect the club and Croatian football in general, because this is a huge stain for all of us."
There are no rules to disqualify teams from the Champions League unless at least two players fail drugs tests.


Newcastle United have signed Christian Atsu from Premier League side Chelsea on a season-long loan, with an option to buy if the Magpies are promoted.

The 24-year-old made two substitute appearances during the Blues' pre-season under new manager Antonio Conte.
Atsu spent four months on loan at La Liga side Malaga last season, scoring twice in 11 appearances, after spells on loan at Everton and Bournemouth.
He is Rafael Benitez's 15th signing for the Championship side since June.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Bowel cancer tester kits are being used by an increasing number of people over the age of 50 in Scotland.

The screening has been designed to detect the early stage of cancer when symptoms are not always obvious.
This year there was a 9% increase in use of the kits which were posted to eligible men and women between 6 October and 6 November.
The test involves taking a sample of three separate bowel motions which are returned in the post for screening.
Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in Scotland but can be cured if caught in the early stages.
Health Secretary Shona Robison said it was "hugely encouraging" that more over-50s were taking part in the Scottish government's national programme to beat the disease.
She added: "The early symptoms are often hidden so the best way to find it is to do the test. If you haven't done one for two years, or need a replacement, call the helpline today on 0800 0121 833."
Health officials have confirmed that a new, discreet storage device is being trialled to help make both taking and storing the test at home as easy as possible.
There's nothing to be embarrassed about, the test is quick and simple and can be done in the privacy of your own home - and most importantly, it could save your life
Phyllis Weir, a 62-year-old grandmother from Lanark, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in November 2013 after completing the test she received in the post.
She led a healthy lifestyle and had no symptoms but had seen several people close to her affected by cancer so did not want to take any chances.
Ms Weir said: "I was asked to do a second test which was followed by a colonoscopy where doctors spotted something they believed to be a tumour.
"I knew it couldn't be anything like IBS as I didn't suffer from any symptoms, so within five days tests confirmed my worst fear that it was, in fact, cancer.
"Two weeks later I had surgery to remove the tumour followed by six months of chemotherapy. From November I was clear of cancer but the chemo was recommended as a precaution for the future.
"I still remember that day in November like it was yesterday as I was terrified that doctors wouldn't even be able to treat me, so to get the news that the surgery was successful was just fantastic.
"Thankfully I did the test when I did. It literally takes a matter of minutes but some people think it's messy and there seems to be a lot of stigma surrounding doing it.
"At the end of the day it could save your life and I would recommend anyone who receives the test just to do it."
Professor Robert Steele, director of the Scottish Bowel Screening Programme, said: "There's nothing to be embarrassed about, the test is quick and simple and can be done in the privacy of your own home. Most importantly, it could save your life.
"So when your kit drops through your letterbox, don't delay."


A cyclist is in hospital with serious facial injuries after colliding with a man in Edinburgh.

Both men are being treated at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
The pedestrian suffered a minor head injury during the incident which happened on Queen's Drive at about 09:45 .


Celtic will travel to Coatbridge in the Scottish Cup after Calum Ferguson's stoppage-time winner for Albion Rovers against Queen of the South.

Rovers were reduced to 10 men before prevailing 2-1 in the third-round tie.
Lawrence Shankland scored twice as St Mirren thrashed Lowland League outfit Spartans 5-1, while East Fife drew 1-1 at home to Edinburgh City.
Ayr United won 1-0 away to Brechin City and will next host Queen's Park after the Spiders beat Montrose 2-0.
In Coatbridge, Rovers took the lead after only 16 minutes through Mick Dunlop's header, but Jamie Hamill equalised for their Championship visitors with 14 minutes remaining.
The League One part-timers' cause appeared likely to be hampered when Ryan Wallace was shown a second yellow card with three minutes left.
However, Calum Ferguson finished the game from close range in the final seconds after a quick break to inflict a sixth defeat in seven games on a Queens side still seeking a new manager.
Two goals within five minutes in the first quarter of the match sent St Mirren, sitting bottom of the Championship, on their way to a fourth-round meeting with Dundee at Dens Park.
Shankland and Stevie Mallan fired in those early goals and Kyle McAllister added a third before the break - driving his first senior goal in off the crossbar.
A John Sutton header and a cool finish from Shankland extended the home side's advantage in Paisley before Jack Beesley turned in a late consolation for Spartans.
At Glebe Park, Andy O'Connell had the winning touch for Ayr in a tight game, providing the finish from Gary Harkins' pass in the 70th minute.
Having ended a run of five games without a win, the Championship side will now face another League One outfit, this time at home, after Queen's Park overcame Montrose at Hampden.
David Galt's low volley gave the Spiders a 15th-minute lead then Paul Woods ran half-way up the park to fire past goalkeeper Allan Fleming nine minutes after the break to send the League Two strugglers to another defeat under caretaker manager John Holt.
Livingston must wait to learn who will be travelling to West Lothian in the fourth round after Edinburgh extended their unbeaten run to seven games with a draw in Methil.
City, who remain bottom of League Two despite their fine form, made the breakthrough after 40 minutes through Ouzy See's low drive.
However, the League One Fifers, who have now gone eight games without a win, hit back 19 minutes into the second half thanks to Jason Kerr's header - the substitute's first kick of the ball - to secure a replay.


Prince Harry has revealed he sought counselling after spending nearly 20 years "not thinking" about the death of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, he said it was not until his late 20s that he processed the grief - after two years of "total chaos" and coming close to a "complete breakdown".
But he was in a "good place" because of the "process I have been through".
Harry, 32, also said boxing had "saved" him by helping him let out aggression.
The Telegraph says Prince Harry had decided to talk about his past in the hope it would encourage people to break the stigma surrounding mental health issues.
Along with his brother and sister-in-law, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, he is promoting the Heads Together mental health campaign, the London Marathon's charity of the year.
Speaking to the paper's Bryony Gordon, Prince Harry said: "I can safely say that losing my mum at the age of 12, and therefore shutting down all of my emotions for the last 20 years, has had a quite serious effect on not only my personal life but my work as well."
He added: "I have probably been very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions when all sorts of grief and all sorts of lies and misconceptions and everything are coming to you from every angle."
By Peter Hunt, BBC royal correspondent
This is a senior royal as we rarely see or hear them.
Prince Harry is part of the future of an institution that once embodied the British stiff-upper-lip approach to life.
Such an approach was dealt a blow by Diana, Princess of Wales.
In her 1995 BBC Panorama interview, she told Martin Bashir about her post-natal depression, her self-harming and her bulimia.
Now, Prince Harry is following his mother's example.
In the podcast, which is a compelling listen, Harry admits to feeling nervous as he speaks openly about suffering from anxiety, coming close to a breakdown and being a "problem" for much of his 20s.
Prince Harry is this country's most high profile person yet to talk about his personal mental anguish.
His privileged life in a palace hasn't protected him from ill-health.
Diana's son hopes that his up-front display of honesty will help to break the taboo that still surrounds mental health.
Read more from Peter
The Princess of Wales died in a car crash in Paris in August 1997.
Prince Harry said: "My way of dealing with it was sticking my head in the sand, refusing to ever think about my mum, because why would that help?"
"(I thought) it's only going to make you sad, it's not going to bring her back. So from an emotional side, I was like 'right, don't ever let your emotions be part of anything.'"
He described himself as a "typical 20, 25, 28-year-old running around going 'life is great', or 'life is fine' and that was exactly it.
"And then [I] started to have a few conversations and actually all of a sudden, all of this grief that I have never processed started to come to the forefront and I was like, there is actually a lot of stuff here that I need to deal with."
He said he decided to act after his brother - the Duke of Cambridge - told him: "Look, you really need to deal with this. It is not normal to think that nothing has affected you."
Prince Harry opened up to the Telegraph's Bryony Gordon over a cup of tea at Kensington Palace during a half-hour interview recorded for a podcast on mental health issues.
Gordon, who has previously spoken of her own struggles with bulimia, alcoholism and an obsessive compulsive disorder, said the pair had been alone in the room.
She said it had been unusual to hear a royal talk for half an hour on any subject and described Prince Harry as "really articulate and a sound guy".
Prince Harry said: "Some of the best people or easiest people to speak to is a shrink or whoever - the Americans call them shrinks - someone you have never met before.
"You sit down on the sofa and say 'listen, I don't actually need your advice. Can you just listen'. And you just let it all rip."
Asked whether he had counselling, he said: "I've done that a couple of times, more than a couple of times, but it's great."
But he said he could "safely say" his concerns were not related to his service as a soldier in Afghanistan.
On taking up boxing, Prince Harry told the paper: "Everyone was saying boxing is good for you and it's a really good way of letting out aggression.
"And that really saved me because I was on the verge of punching someone."
Prince Harry said: "Because of the process I have been through over the past two-and-a-half years, I've now been able to take my work seriously, been able to take my private life seriously as well, and been able to put blood, sweat and tears into the things that really make a difference and things that I think will make a difference to everybody else."
A two-part series, Mind Over Marathon, starts on BBC One at 2100 BST on Thursday 20 April, as part of a Minds Matter series of programming about mental health issues.
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NHS whistleblowers could be protected against discrimination if they apply to work for the health service again.

Government plans would give applicants a right to complain to an employment tribunal if they believed they had suffered discrimination.
Jeremy Hunt said he wanted to create "a culture of openness" where staff feel they can speak up about patient safety.
Barrister Sir Robert Francis recommended the measure after a public inquiry into Stafford Hospital deaths.
Protecting NHS whistleblowers was a key recommendation from the inquiry into the scandal, which resulted in the trust that ran Stafford Hospital being fined Â£500,000 for "basic" blunders linked to the deaths of four patients.
Sir Robert, the inquiry chairman, warned that staff often faced bullying and isolation if they tried to speak out and that staff struggled to find new jobs in the NHS.
Under the UK-wide plans, applicants for an NHS job would have the right to complain to an employment tribunal if they had been discriminated against because they had previously raised concerns about the safety of patients.
Applicants would also have the right to bring a claim in court in order to prevent discriminatory conduct.
And the draft guidelines, which are out for consultation, say that discrimination of an applicant by an NHS worker should be treated like discrimination by the NHS body itself.
Health Secretary Mr Hunt said: "Today we move another step closer to creating a culture of openness in the NHS, where people who have the courage to speak up about patient safety concerns are listened to, not vilified."
He said the changes would ensure "staff feel they are protected with the law on their side".
There has been a growing focus on patient safety since Sir Robert's inquiry in 2013.
One of the main findings of that report was that people within the NHS had known about the poor levels of care at the hospital, but did not raise the alarm.
Since then, a number of initiatives have been launched to improve safety.
In 2015, the government introduced plans to appoint guardians to support staff who wanted to speak up about concerns over patient safety.
Peter Walsh, chief executive of Action against Medical Accidents, said the plans were modest, but a "welcome move in the right direction".
"It is clearly unfair that staff who have been forced to become 'whistleblowers' should be discriminated against when they seek alternative jobs.
"However, this is a symptom of a much deeper cultural problem in the NHS which will not be solved with tinkering with rules here and there.
"So far we have not seen a joined-up approach to supporting and protecting staff from unfair treatment when they try to do the right thing and end up having to be whistleblowers."
Mr Walsh said many NHS trusts had still not appointed guardians, as recommended by the Stafford Hospital inquiry.
The current consultation is open for eight weeks and will close on 12 May.


A friend of a schoolgirl stabbed to death in Birmingham city centre has described the "nightmare" ordeal, nearly 10 years after the attack.

Rosie Ross, 16, was stabbed by a man with schizophrenia in an unprovoked attack in May 2001.
Her friend Sarah Elstob, who had been shopping with her that day, described how they had both seen Rosie's killer minutes before the attack.
Inderjit Kainth was detained indefinitely for the killing.
Although he denied murder, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter due to diminished responsibility in court in December 2001.
Miss Elstob said she and Rosie had both been in the same house at Aldridge School, where they had met in Year 8.
Rosie had been due to sit her GCSEs and had applied to study fashion and design at college.
Miss Elstob said that on the day of the attack, they had been shopping together in the city centre when they were approached by Kainth.
Miss Elstob said: "It was a very hot day when it happened. We got some lunch and walked towards Centenary Square."
"BRMB radio station was there and that's why originally we stopped there and Rosie bathed her feet in the fountain."
She said they both carried on walking up to Centenary Square and Rosie climbed a wall and lay down on it.
Miss Elstob said she stayed below to text another friend and Rosie told her she could "sunbathe here all day".
She said they both stayed there for about five to 10 minutes when she first noticed Kainth.
Miss Elstob said: "He was looking at his watch and I remember him getting very impatient and I remember thinking he was meeting somebody.
"I can remember hearing footsteps and seeing black."
When she turned around, Miss Elstob said all she could see was a black bin bag, which Kainth had used to conceal his weapon.
"It was just as if we had walked into a danger zone, the wrong time, the wrong place," she added.
Miss Elstob said she saw him run off and thought at first he had just stolen Rosie's bag.
However, seconds later when she saw her friend staggering around she said she knew something more serious had happened.
Rosie lost consciousness in the attack and died later in hospital.
Miss Elstob said: "If Rosie had known at the actual time what was happening, and realised that this man was mentally ill, she would have tried her utmost to talk him round and try and reassure him that everything isn't bad in the world, because Rosie saw good in everybody.
"That's the way she lived her life - carefree.
"I wish everybody could be like that."


A charity supported by Labour MP Jo Cox has been awarded £375,000 raised in fines from the Libor banking scandal.

The Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) is one of three organisations set to benefit from a memorial fund set up following the death of Mrs Cox in June.
The Batley and Spen MP 41, was shot and stabbed in Birstall, West Yorkshire.
The latest tranche of fines will also be used to fund D-Day veteran visits to Normandy and to help excavate the HMS Invincible shipwreck in the Solent.
Live updates on this story and others in West Yorkshire
Announcing the donation to the RVS, chancellor George Osborne said: "It is right that funding from those in the banking industry who demonstrated the worst of values goes towards people who display the very best of British values.
"Jo Cox dedicated her life to bringing people together and making a difference.
"She was an inspiration to people across the world and I am proud to give the Royal Voluntary Service this funding in her memory to continue their vital work."
The memorial fund - which is also supporting Hope not Hate and the White Helmets - has raised nearly £1.5m since it was set up.
Full list of donations:
An inquest into Mrs Cox's death was opened and adjourned last month after hearing she died from multiple stab and gunshot wounds.
Thomas Mair, 52, from Birstall, faces charges of murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of an offensive weapon in connection with the attack on Mrs Cox.


A "thorough review" will be conducted into the disappearance of a Derbyshire man from a hospital, police have said.

Ricky Hill, from Alfreton, was last seen at the Royal Derby Hospital on 23 September, where he was being treated for depression.
A body found in a nearby wooded area on Saturday is understood to be that of the missing 30 year old.
The family, which organised searches for Mr Hill, have asked why his body was not found sooner.
He was admitted to the hospital as a high-risk patient.
At the time his father, Steven Hill, said he was assured Ricky would be sectioned if he tried to leave.
But the hospital insisted that, while it takes the safety and welfare of its patients very seriously, they are free to leave whenever they want because they cannot be deprived of their liberty.
Visiting the site where the body was found on Sunday, members of the family declined to be interviewed but expressed anger Ricky's body had not been discovered sooner and said they were sure the woodland had been searched.
Reverend Gareth Higgs, who lives nearby and spoke to the family, said: "There was of course a lot of sadness and grief.
"One person did express some relief that Ricky had at last been found but the main feeling was one of shock and grief."
A police spokesman said: "Police believe the body to be that of Ricky Hill who went missing from Royal Derby Hospital on Tuesday, September 23. Formal identification of the body is yet to take place.
"Police are conducting a thorough review into all aspects into the original investigation into when Ricky Hill went missing."


Two people have been arrested after an accident in West Sussex in which a woman and three children were injured.

The 61-year-old driver of a VW Golf and children aged between six and nine were hurt in the crash on Friday with an Audi S4 on the A23 near Crawley.
A nine-year-old boy with serious injuries was taken to St Georges Hospital in Tooting and is stable.
Sussex Police said the four occupants of the Audi left the scene, near Applegreen service station.
Two males aged 17 and 24 have been arrested.


People are being asked how the Welsh Government should spend its £16bn budget next year.

AMs want to know the public's priorities before ministers publish their plans in October.
Key questions include the importance of tackling poverty, an aging population, and preventative measures in health.
Finance committee chairman Simon Thomas said the impact of Brexit and tax powers required a Welsh Government with "a clear purpose and direction".
"The next few years will be among the most critical in Wales's development," said the Plaid Cymru AM, launching the consultation on Wednesday.
"We will be looking at the draft budget to judge whether or not it can deliver the best possible value to Wales.
"Before we reach that stage, it is important that we assess how the Welsh Government is performing against its own objectives, and we need people to tell us how they think it's doing.
"That is why we are gathering opinions and ideas now, through expert advice, relevant authorities and an online survey for people to contribute to our inquiry and help form our recommendations."
The survey form can be found on the Welsh Assembly website and people are also invited to share their views via email.
Earlier in July, First Minister Carwyn Jones said he had hoped to publish a detailed programme for the Welsh Labour government's five-year term before the summer recess, but he said he was putting it off until September amid uncertainty over the impact of Brexit on funding.


BBC Radio 1 is moving its chart show to Friday afternoons, where it will become part of Greg James's drivetime show.

Starting in mid-July, the new show will be two hours long, focusing on the top 20, and will be accompanied by a live TV programme on CBBC.
The move follows a global agreement by the music industry to release all new albums and singles on Fridays.
It means the chart will now be compiled on Friday mornings, with Radio 1 the first to reveal the latest number one.
"The days of recording your favourite songs from the chart onto cassette are long gone," said Radio 1 controller Ben Cooper.
"So when the global release date changes to a Friday, we will also move the Official Chart, continuing our commitment to stay relevant to young music fans of today".
A chart countdown has been part of Radio 1's Sunday schedule for nearly 50 years, starting with Alan Freeman's Pick Of The Pops, in 1967.
Until 1987, the new chart was actually announced on a Tuesday, and the following Sunday's show just played the countdown in full. From 1987, however, improved technology enabled the station to receive the week's chart data in time to announce the new number one on the three-hour Sunday show.
Cooper confirmed the new show would be an hour shorter than the current incarnation, airing from 16:00 to 18:00 GMT, allowing the Dance Anthems slot to remain on the schedule.
"That means we will not be playing every single record in the Top 40," he said. "We will be a little bit more choosy about the records we play in those two hours."
The chart show currently garners 1.2 million listeners every week, down from 4 million in the 1980s. James's show is heard by 5 million listeners every week, although detailed figures for his Friday afternoon slot are not available from ratings compiler Rajar.
Cooper also announced that Radio 1's news strand, Newsbeat, would start producing short-form current affairs programmes; and that the station was creating a Youth Council, staffed by a dozen listeners, who would "tell us what's happening with youth culture".
The latter idea was proposed by 15-year-old Jeremiah, a former winner at Radio 1's Teen Awards, who had been recognised for his community work in South London.
The council will meet four times a year and review the content broadcast by Radio 1 and 1Xtra on air, on the iPlayer and on YouTube.
Cooper also addressed comments by former Radio 1 DJ Nihal, who said earlier this month the station was "all white" while sister station 1 Xtra was "all black".
"Nihal's comments [were] untrue, they were unhelpful and they were upsetting," he said.
"He made some sweeping generalisations around some very sensitive issues about the colour of people's skin.
"I have worked passionately to increase the diversity at Radio 1. It is my ambition to have the most diverse schedule on radio in the UK. That means looking at gender, looking at sexuality, looking at regional voices.
"We are getting there. There is still work to be done, but we are dong more than any other radio station in the UK, in terms of diversity".
Citing figures that 13.4% of Radio 1 staff were from a black, Asian or minority ethnic  (BAME) background, he said of Nihal: "Those comments. I just don't recognise those comments."
However, the percentage of employees from a BAME background at Radio 1 is only slightly higher than the BBC average of 12.6%.
In a wide-ranging presentation, Cooper also admitted that Radio 1 was losing listeners because "people are in love with their phones".
Outlining the station's strategy, he said platforms like YouTube, Snapchat and Facebook would be as important to the station's future as its on-air programming.
"The BBC needs to stop thinking about TV channels and radio stations and just think about content for certain demographics, certain age groups.
"That's certainly one of the things Radio 1 has been leading and pioneering in the last five years."
"If we don't adapt we will die," he warned.


Thousands of valuable items stored in bank safety deposit boxes cannot be traced to their owners, a BBC investigation has been told.

Sources at Lloyds, RBS and Barclays told BBC Radio 4's You and Yours that branches have been running disorganised "safe custody" systems.
Changes to the services have also seen some customers unable to retrieve items, the sources said.
The banks said they were committed to storing customers' items safely.
Gillian Robinson, from Dorset, lost an estimated Â£10,000 of family heirlooms in 2013 when Lloyds Bank failed to locate them. She has since been reimbursed.
Gold jewellery from India which her parents had received as traditional wedding gifts was stored with Lloyds when they came to the UK.
The box included a necklace handed down by her great-grandmother which she described as "priceless".
Mrs Robinson said: "I got a call from the bank, saying they were transporting everything from their vaults up north to a safety deposit area, and then they discovered they couldn't find mine.
"Inside that box was my mother's family jewellery, jewellery given for weddings. It's all gone.
"The bank asked whether my jewellery was insured and I said 'No, that's why it was in the bank - I am paying for it to be safe'."
One source at Lloyds Banking Group said it discovered the extent of the problem when they undertook an audit of UK branches in 2014.
The source said they identified 100,000 items which had to be traced back to their owners.
Of those, the source claims 10,000 items were classed as untraceable and ranged from jewellery, gold and family heirlooms, to important documents such as passports, property deeds and wills.
Last year the Financial Ombudsman received 65 complaints about "safe custody" services.
In recent years most high street banks have stopped offering them. The changing physical layout of many banks and the lack of vaults mean fewer of them have the facilities and many people are choosing to have home safes instead.
David Ellerton, from the Safety Deposit Association, said problems often date back to times before computers when items were recorded using ledgers.
"We do get weekly calls on the subject because the banks don't seem to find peoples' belongings butâ€¦ unless people can prove what was in the storage, the ombudsman has been finding in favour of the banks," he said.
A spokesman for Lloyds Banking Group said the safety of customers' information and property was a priority and it was investing in the transition from paper records to a central online database.
RBS said it did not have a large-scale problem, but on occasion they had been unable to locate items. They added problems can occur if customers failed to update the bank with contact details.
A spokesperson from Barclays said: "Following the closure of the Barclaysafe Premium Service in 2013, an extensive programme of activity was undertaken to contact customers and return their items.
"Any items not retrieved during this time were then moved to centralised secure storage."


As Georgian leaders head to the Eastern Partnership summit in Riga, they will find it hard to hide their disappointment.

Because the one thing that they were hoping to get for their country from Riga was endorsement of a visa-free travel policy to other European countries.
They are likely to come home empty-handed.
This ex-Soviet nation, which has strong pro-Western aspirations, says it has delivered on promised reforms bringing Georgia into line with European and international standards of governance.
But in its assessment of the country's progress, the European Commission said on May 8 that more needed to be done to achieve its goal.
Last year, three former Soviet countries - Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova - signed an Association Agreement with the EU.
Part of this agreement includes a visa liberalisation policy whereby short-term, visa-free travel within the Schengen area will be granted to citizens of those countries.
The aim is to incentivise the EU's so-called Eastern partners to undergo reforms across a broad range of issues, from security and immigration to human rights and corruption.
In early May, in an open letter addressed to the heads of European institutions, Georgia's political leaders urged Europe to endorse a visa-free regime, which they said would be "a long-awaited tangible reward for reforms".
The key word here is tangible. Georgia's political leadership desperately needs to demonstrate to the population that becoming part of the European family is more than just a dream.
But a slide in its popularity and a continuing malaise in Georgia's economy may be prompting Georgians to reconsider the EU's merits.
A recent opinion poll conducted by the US-based National Democratic Institute suggests that while a majority of Georgians still support the country's pro-Western and pro-Nato aspirations, a new trend of increasing support for the Russian-led Eurasian Union has also been spotted.
In some ways, that trend of more Georgians supporting closer ties with Russia makes perfect sense.
Many Georgian businesses and families economically depend on their northern neighbour.
Following the collapse of communism in the USSR in 1991, Georgians voted overwhelmingly for the restoration of independence and elected nationalist leader Zviad Gamsakhurdia as president.
However, Gamsakhurdia was overthrown by opposition militias which, in 1992, installed former Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze as the country's new leader.
He held office for 11 years before being ousted in the Rose Revolution of November 2003 following mass demonstrations over the conduct of parliamentary elections.
The Georgian Dream party has been in power since the parliamentary election of 2012, unseating the United National Movement, whose former chairman Mikheil Saakashvili stood down after two terms as president of Georgia in 2013.
Russia is one of the top destinations for Georgian agricultural produce, wine and mineral water.
It is also the main target for Georgian nationals seeking work abroad.
But the relationship between Russia and Georgia is a troubled one.
In recent months, Russia has extended its control of Georgia's two breakaway territories by signing "strategic alliance" agreements with South Ossetia and Abkhazia - both are backed financially and militarily by Russia.
It is against this backdrop, and the fall in Georgia's national currency (it has lost 30% of its value against the US dollar since November) that the country's governing coalition, Georgian Dream, finds itself on shakier ground than it has been at any time since coming to power in 2012.
Earlier in May the government faced a vote of confidence in parliament following the resignation of seven cabinet ministers within the space of 10 months.
It won easily - the coalition holds a majority in parliament - and 32-year-old Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili explained at the time that the vote was merely a formality.
However, many in Georgia suspect that Mr Garibashvili is not fully in control of his government.
Instead the former PM, the country's only billionaire, Bidzina Ivanishvili, is the man Georgians believe truly pulls the levers of power.
Mr Ivanishvili's Georgian Dream coalition won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections in October 2012, defeating former president Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement party.
He promised judiciary reforms with the slogan "restoration of justice".
But opponents say that that restoration has been selective.
More than 100 former government officials are under investigation, many have been jailed and others are still awaiting trial.
Mr Saakashvili, who left Georgia shortly after the end of his presidential term, is wanted by the authorities on a number of charges.
After serving just over a year as prime minister, Mr Ivanishvili resigned his position and appointed his former aide Irakli Garibashvili.
And while Bidzina Ivanishvili no longer holds public office, he enjoys giving his assessment of the political situation in the country on his weekly TV show.
He frequently criticises the country's president, Giorgi Margvelashvili, for his decision to take up residence in the palace built by his predecessor, which irritates Mr Ivanishvili.
And there is not much unity between the president and the prime minister either.
The two men frequently clash over who should represent Georgia on the international stage.
Privately, members of the diplomatic community in Georgia complain that the cat-fighting weakens the Georgian government and the country.
Yet despite the widespread poverty, and the lack of clarity on who is in charge, one thing is tangible - that Georgia is a working democracy.
It has made significant progress in recent years both under the UNM and the Georgian Dream, leaving behind the autocratic rule common in other former Soviet republics, and it has a vibrant and plural media.
But to complete its marathon towards the eventual embrace of the EU, Georgia will have to cross the finishing line without tripping over Russian - or its own - stumbling blocks.


A Thai court has issued an arrest warrant for a senior army officer accused of being involved in the trafficking of Rohingya migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Lieutenant General Manas Kongpan could face a criminal trial. He is willing to hand himself in, Thai reports say.
The warrant is part of efforts to close down smuggling routes through Thailand.
Meanwhile Myanmar's navy is reported to be escorting a boat with about 700 stranded migrants to a "safe" location.
Information Minister Ye Htut told the AFP news agency that the migrants were being taken to an undisclosed but safe area and had been given food and water.
He declined naming the location because of "security and safety concerns".
Analysis: Jonah Fisher, BBC News, Myanmar
On a purely human level, there are currently about 800,000 people in western Myanmar, denied the most basic of rights and discriminated against due to the circumstances of their birth. They've been fleeing into the hands of cruel trafficking rings because they're poor and desperate.
From a simple human rights perspective it's a continuing outrage that should shame us all.
So why, despite the calls from around the world is Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, reluctant to raise her voice?
Aung San Suu Kyi: Where are you?
Tuesday's move to arrest Gen Kongpan is part of an effort by Thailand to close down a human smuggling route through the country.
Migrants from Myanmar (Burma) and Bangladesh have previously been detained in camps in southern Thailand before being sent to Malaysia.
In 2009, the general told the BBC that Thailand treated migrants humanely after he was accused of ordering more than 1,000 Rohingyas to be set adrift at sea on boats with no engines.
Correspondents say that he is the first member of the military in army-ruled Thailand to be implicated in the trafficking of migrants.
Rights groups have long maintained that the country has not addressed the issue and may even be complicit in the trade.
The warrant against the general was issued by a court on Sunday, police chief Somyot Poompanmoung was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying.
"[We] are confident in the evidence [and] I am confident he will not flee."
The Thai News Agency on Tuesday interviewed Gen Kongpan, who said he was going to surrender himself to the police in Songkhla province. He said he was willing to co-operate with officers and was preparing to defend himself.
Police have not given details over his alleged role in the multi-million dollar criminal network which authorities believe over the years has been responsible for smuggling migrants through the south of Thailand to Malaysia.
Gen Kongpan, 58, was a senior army officer in the south, where police are examining dozens of shallow graves found last month in a remote migrant camp bordering Malaysia.
Thousands of Rohingyas have in recent months attempted to travel to Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia and many are still believed to be stranded at sea.


MP Ian Blackford believes a new debate on armed police in Scotland may be needed to clear up any public concerns about they how they operate.

Three years ago, concerns were raised by Highland and Borders councillors and by a number of MSPs that officers were carrying handguns on routine patrols.
Police Scotland said at the time that this was not the case.
The issue has resurfaced after reports that four armed officers had breakfast in a supermarket in Dingwall.
Police Scotland said the specialist officers were taking a break on Sunday morning, but used a staff-only area not available to the wider public.
The force said the officers were working within the rules, had done nothing wrong and were sensitive to the possibility of causing any concerns among the public.
Mr Blackford, SNP MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, said there was a balance to be met between protecting the public, supporting the work of the police and making guns less visible.
He told BBC Radio Scotland: "I think we have got to have an informed debate.
"I think that those of us that are politicians have got to say to people that there is that balance to be met. Yes, we want to be kept safe. Yes, at the same time, we don't expect to see police officers carrying firearms."
He added: "We need to make sure there is an appropriate level of response that can be delivered by the police service when they need to do so, whether that is over fears of terrorism or in any other circumstances when they may be confronted by dangerous individuals."
The Press and Journal and Inverness Courier newspapers have reported that the four armed officers had breakfast in a cafe at a Tesco in Dingwall on Sunday morning.
Police Scotland said it was not a public area, but a staff-only area where members of the public were not present.
In a statement, the force said: "These officers were doing nothing wrong.
"Police Scotland's standing firearms authority means that there is a chance that members of the public will see a small number of our officers in public places wearing sidearms.
"Armed officers must wear their sidearm while on duty at all times, but are only sent to incidents where an armed response is deemed necessary or there is an immediate threat to life."
A row about the appearance of specialist armed officers in public areas began in the Highlands in 2013.
Highland Council said it was concerned that officers carrying handguns were more visible in public places than previously.
The matter prompted reviews by the Scottish Police Authority and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland.
The reviews backed Police Scotland's policy of allowing a small number of officers to carry firearms in the interests of public protection.
However, it was suggested that force could have done more to explain the policy to local communities.
Police Scotland said at the time that armed officers were only be deployed to firearms incidents or where there was a threat to life.
The force also said that, while on duty, armed officers may find themselves assisting in incidents that they came across that would normally be handled by unarmed police.


Cambridge United and Wycombe are investigating alleged racist abuse towards Chairboys striker Adebayo Akinfenwa during their League Two game.

Cambridgeshire Police also confirmed its officers are investigating.
Akinfenwa, 34, reported the alleged incident to referee Trevor Kettle, who has included it in his report.
The clubs are now working together to investigate the events at Cambs Glass Stadium and will take "appropriate action" against those involved.
Wycombe won Saturday's game 2-1 through a 95th-minute goal from Aaron Pierre.
Akinfenwa tweeted afterwards: "Good three points, but it's a shame that a small group of Cambridge fans focus on colour rather than the game. #KickoutRacism."


Two men have been arrested after a fight on a train brought the service to a standstill for almost an hour.

British Transport Police officers attended Port Talbot railway station at about 19:20 BST on Sunday following an altercation on the 15:37 Paddington to Swansea service.
A 65-year-old man from Neath and a 44-year-old man from Swansea have been arrested on suspicion of affray.
A number of passengers were also asked to leave the train.


Irish sailor Annalise Murphy has won an Olympic laser radial silver medal - four years after agonisingly missing out at London 2012.

Murphy's fifth spot in Tuesday medal race in Rio moved her from up from the bronze position and behind Dutch winner Marit Bouwmeester.
Denmark's Anne-Marie Rindom won bronze, while Britain's Alison Young was eighth after winning Tuesday's race.
Murphy, 26, led for most of the way in London only to end up fourth.
Her success in Rio was Ireland's second medal of the Games after the silver won by Cork rowing brothers Gary and Paul O'Donovan last week.
The Dubliner's achievement comes 36 years after the last Irish Olympic sailing medal won at the Moscow Games in the Flying Dutchman class by David Wilkins and Jamie Wilkinson.
Murphy was thrilled by her performance as she held her nerve in Tuesday's high-pressure race to banish memories of her 2012 disappointment.
"This time four years ago, I had just finished fourth and it was the hardest day of my life," said the Dun Laoghaire sailor.
"But I said I was going to come back and try and get a medal.
"I didn't think I was going to be in this position even a few months ago. I was sailing really badly so to be able to come and do it when it matters is really incredible."
Instead of merely defending her overnight third position, Murphy opted to attack the medal race and looked at one stage as though she might challenge Dutchwoman Bouwmeester for the gold.
"I knew if I was scared, I was going to end up losing out so I just went for it," added Murphy, who dived into the water along with Danish bronze medallist Rindom in celebration immediately after Tuesday's race.


Labour's Alan Charles has been chosen as Derbyshire's first police and crime commissioner.

Read more about these candidates below.
Alan Charles is a Derbyshire councillor and vice chair of Derbyshire Police Authority who is an electrician by trade.
In 1988 he started a workers' co-operative in the energy management controls industry, but left in 1997 to concentrate on local politics.
Mr Charles has pledged to fight the budget cuts faced by Derbyshire Police and maintain community policing, saying he wants to keep "policing public" and is is opposed to private companies being involved in support services.
Alan Charles' election statement
David Gale is a former police officer, who received a commendation from Nottinghamshire Police for burglary detection.
Mr Gale said, if elected, he would provide "50 new beat bobbies" for the county and believes the extra officers could be paid for by cutting back on administration costs and waste.
Mr Gale, from Derby, said: "The police are there to fight crime, particularly anti-social behaviour and gang-related crime, which impacts on communities."
David Gale's election statement
Rod Hutton is a businessman and former special constable who served with the Metropolitan Police in London for 19 years.
Mr Hutton said, if elected, he would make sure the concerns of local people were heard and acted upon.
He said: "My experience working with the police service is important but listening to what communities are asking for is vital to the role."
Rod Hutton's election statement
Simon Spencer is a Derbyshire county councillor and deputy leader of the Conservative-run administration at County Hall.
A former firefighter, he has been involved in politics for 19 years and has twice stood as a Parliamentary candidate - in the county and in Derby city.
Mr Spencer said he intended to make the police force more accountable and to put the public at the heart of the criminal justice system.
Simon Spencer's election statement


Worcester Warriors centre Wynand Olivier has signed an undisclosed-length deal with the Premiership club.

The South Africa international, 32, originally signed on at Sixways in September, following his release by French Top 14 side Montpellier, reportedly on a two-year contract.
He has so far scored one Warriors try in nine Premiership appearances.
Warriors have also promoted 21-year-old Academy utility back Perry Humphreys to a first-team squad contract.
Humphreys, who can play at full-back, wing and centre, was signed from Leicester Tigers in the summer of 2014, making his debut for Warriors in their Championship win at Rotherham in October.
He has since registered two tries in first team appearances, scoring in the semi-final to help the Warriors win last season's British & Irish Cup.
After 11 straight defeats - six in the Premiership, five in the European Challenge Cup - Worcester stand 10th in the Premiership.
They are just four points off the bottom, ahead of this Sunday's league visit to Premiership backmarkers London Irish.


Members of the left-wing Colombian Farc rebel group opposed to last year's historic peace agreement have killed a soldier in an attack in the south-east of the country, the army has said.

It said that dissidents targeted an army vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
Four other soldiers were wounded.
The attack has been condemned by President Juan Manuel Santos, who last year won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on the peace agreement.
The deal ended half a century of conflict but renegade Farc fighters have since clashed with other Farc members as well as government forces.
Colombia landslide: Farc rebels offer to help rebuild town
The Farc rebel rapping for peace
Dozens of rights activists killed in Colombia in 2016
The government and the Farc signed a peace agreement in November.
Most Farc members are now inside or heading to one of 26 transition camps dotted around the country. They were set up as part of the historic peace deal which ended more than five decades of armed uprising.
But some Farc leaders have complained that, despite months of planning, most of the transition camps are still lacking the basic amenities they say they were promised.
If the peace process goes to plan, the Farc will transform itself into a political force and its former fighters will re-enter society.
But, for many who have little or no formal education, that may be a huge challenge.


Schools minister Nick Gibb has said he wants to stop schools prioritising their rankings in exam league tables over ensuring a good education for all their pupils.

New league tables for England, out next week, show which schools boost pupils' progress from ages 11 and 16.
Mr Gibb said the old system allowed schools to exploit tables, and some used it to help boost their rankings.
Labour gave the move a cautious welcome.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Gibb explained: "The purpose of performance tables must be to incentivise schools to raise standards and to enable parents to make informed decisions when choosing a school."
But he added: "The way school league tables have evolved over the past two decades can encourage a degree of 'gaming' by some weaker schools, desperate to keep above the standard that would trigger intervention by Ofsted or the Department for Education."
Mr Gibb said that, since 1997, the number of C grades awarded had increased because weaker schools had been incentivised to focus on them.
He said this meant students who could have gained As were getting Bs, and E-grade students who were capable of achieving Ds had been neglected.
"We intend to make available data formerly kept secret in the Department for Education," Mr Gibb wrote.
"For example, we want to show how well secondary schools educate those children who left primary school still struggling in the 3Rs.
"The new tables will have a column showing the proportion of such children who went on to achieve five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C. We can then compare schools to see which are better at helping children who started from this low base."
The figures will also highlight how well a secondary school educates those students who joined them as high achievers and will show how well schools improve the chances of pupils who have come from poorer backgrounds, Mr Gibb said.
Shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg said: "Labour introduced value added measures in league tables to measure how schools helped children improve, which the Tory government scrapped. It is good that they have changed their minds so we can measure the progress pupils make not just the raw exam results.
"Labour has been saying for some time that the Tory-led government needs to take stock of research evidence and advice from experts carefully and deal with coasting schools and poor teaching. Although today's news makes a good headline, it remains to be seen whether this will amount to real reform."
Last year the league tables were overhauled to show results in the English Baccalaureate - or EBacc - which records achievement in five core subjects.
Last year the government said it would consider the value of vocational qualifications in performance measures.
Known as equivalent qualifications, some of these count for as much as four or even six GCSEs. The government said there were "perverse incentives" for schools to offer them and thereby boost their league table position.


A 15-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder after two pupils were stabbed at a school in Dulwich.

The two victims, both 15, are being treated in hospital. One remains in a critical condition.
The attack happened at Kingsdale Foundation School at about 15:30 GMT on Thursday.
The teenager accused of attacking the pair has also been charged with grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon.
He will appear at Camberwell Magistrates' Court on Saturday.


Pakistan have decided not to renew Shahid Afridi's central contract.

The 36-year-old has not been selected since Pakistan's early exit from the World Twenty20 in India in April, after which he resigned as Twenty20 captain.
A hard-hitting right-handed batsman and leg-spinner, Afridi retired from Test cricket in 2010 and from one-day internationals in 2015.
He has scored more sixes than any other player in the history of one-day international cricket, with 351.
Meanwhile, off-spinner Saeed Ajmal has also been omitted by the Pakistan Cricket Board, hurting his chances of making a comeback in the national side.


A white South Carolina police officer has been charged with murder after video emerged of him shooting a black man running away from him.

State investigators arrested North Charleston police officer Michael Slager on Tuesday after viewing the mobile phone video of the shooting.
Authorities say victim Walter Lamer Scott was shot after the officer had already targeted him with a stun gun.
The US Department of Justice is set to launch an investigation.
"When you're wrong, you're wrong," North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said, announcing the arrest. "When you make a bad decision, I don't care if you're behind the shield or a citizen on the street, you have to live with that decision."
Police officers in the US fatally shoot and kill hundreds of people each year, but only a handful of cases result in the officer facing criminal charges.
The incident on Saturday began after Scott's car was stopped for having a broken rear light, local media reported.
A video of the incident published by the New York Times shows a brief scuffle before Scott begins running away. The video then shows the officer firing several shots at Scott, who falls to the ground.
The Post and Courier newspaper of Charleston reported that Mr Scott had been arrested about 10 times, mostly for failing to pay child support or show up for court hearings.
Mr Scott's brother, Anthony, told the Post and Courier that he believed his brother fled from Mr Slager because he owed child support.
Anthony Scott said that because of the video, "we have received the truth" and "through the process, justice has been served".
Chris Stewart, a lawyer for Scott's family, called the passer-by who recorded the video a "hero".
The shooting occurred as heightened scrutiny is being placed on police officer shootings, particularly those that involve white officers and unarmed black suspects.
A grand jury declined to indict Ferguson, Missouri officer Darren Wilson over the fatal shooting of Michael Brown last August, leading to nationwide protests.
Dorothy Williams, a Charleston city councillor, told CNN the community had remained calm in this case because Officer Slager was charged so quickly.
April 2015: Walter Lamer Scott, 50, is shot eight times in South Carolina as he runs away from Officer Michael Slager. Mr Scott dies at the scene. The shooting is captured on video and Mr Slager is charged with murder.
December 2014: Jerame Reid, 36, is shot dead during a routine traffic stop in New Jersey. An officer claims Mr Reid was reaching for a gun, but video footage seems to suggest he was attempting to step out of the car, hands raised.
November 2014: Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy, is shot dead in a playground by Cleveland police after a local resident reports he is pointing a gun at passers by. The gun turns out to be a toy. A grand jury will decide whether police will face charges.
August 2014: Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old, is shot dead by Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri. The shooting leads to protests, first in Ferguson and later nationwide. A grand jury decides not to charge Mr Wilson.
July 2014: Eric Garner, an asthma sufferer, is stopped by police in New York and placed in a chokehold after refusing to be handcuffed. He dies despite repeatedly telling officers he cannot breathe. No police are charged.
March 2014: James Boyd, an unarmed homeless man camping in Alberquerque, is shot dead by two officers. Video of the incident leads prosecutors to say the officers acted with "deliberate intention" and they are charged.
Clive Myrie: Will black Americans finally get a fair deal?
How one shooting sparked national protests
The cases where US police have faced killing charges


Workers at London Underground are to vote on whether to take strike action over the planned all-night Tube.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will decide by 30 June whether they want to take industrial action.
The union is calling for above-inflation pay rises and an assurance there will be safe staffing levels when the service starts in September.
London Underground said the news of the ballot was "bizarre and unnecessary".
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "Nobody should be under any illusions, the night running plan has been cobbled together on the hoof and will rip up the safety rule book.
"Monday mornings will be absolute chaos as the network struggles to get back into gear after running flat out, round the clock through the weekend."
The RMT union is also asking that LU staff are not forced to do night or weekend work.
The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) and the drivers' union Aslef are also holding strike ballots.
Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the TSSA, said: "Boris Johnson is not going to get a first-class night Tube up and running by September if he makes a second-class pay offer to the staff who will be expected to deliver it on time."
Transport for London has denied there will be any safety issues and said it had made a fair pay offer to staff, which includes a two-year deal and extra for the night Tube.
London Underground director Nick Brown said: "We are still in the midst of these negotiations and all parties have agreed that there is much still to discuss, which makes news of the strike ballots all the more bizarre and unnecessary.
"We encourage the trade unions to make themselves available to continue our talks at Acas.
"We want to reach a settlement that rewards our hard-working staff and is fair, affordable and sustainable."
All-night services are expected to run on Fridays and Saturdays on the Piccadilly, Victoria, Central, Jubilee and Northern lines from September.


Formula 1 commercial expert Zak Brown will join the McLaren Group as executive director next month, following the departure of Ron Dennis.

Brown will take on the position after Dennis was last week put on gardening leave by fellow shareholders pending the end of his contract in January.
The 45-year-old American rejected a senior position at F1's owners Liberty Media in order to accept the job.
"I'm immensely proud to be joining McLaren Technology Group," he said.
"I have the utmost respect and admiration for what the business has achieved to date, and I look forward to contributing to the next important phase in its development," Brown said in a statement.
"Having worked closely with McLaren for many years, I've been struck by the talent and ambition of the entire workforce, and I very much look forward to complementing the business' many existing strengths, and building on them to drive future success."
Dennis, 69, remains chairman and chief executive officer but following the collapse of his relationship with the other shareholders he is no longer actively engaged in running the company, although he remains a board member by virtue of his shareholding.
Dennis owns 25% of McLaren, with Bahrain's Mumtalakat sovereign investment fund having 50% and Saudi-born French businessman Mansour Ojjeh the remaining 25%.
Ojjeh and the Bahrainis forced Dennis out of the company last week after a breakdown in their relationship.
Dennis is reportedly considering whether to launch a legal action against his fellow shareholders but has already lost one bid in the High Court in which he attempted to prevent being placed on gardening leave.
Brown, who will be responsible for racing and marketing in his new position, was revealed as a major contender for a role running McLaren by BBC Sport last month and decided over the weekend to accept their offer.
He was of particular interest to McLaren because of his success in finding sponsors for a number of teams in his former role at Just Marketing International (JMI).
"As founder of JMI - now the world's largest motorsport marketing agency - I've often worked closely with McLaren and I've developed some excellent relationships across the company," he added.
"Together we've delivered some great sponsorship deals, including Johnnie Walker, GSK, Hilton, Lenovo, Chandon and NTT.
"In my new role I'll be able to combine my absolute passion with my unparalleled area of expertise - respectively motorsport and marketing - while ensuring the two stay totally aligned."
McLaren have not had a title sponsor since parting company with mobile phone company Vodafone at the end of 2013 and Dennis' failure in that respect was among the reasons for him being forced out.
He also fell out with Ojjeh, a former friend and business partner for more than three decades, some years ago and the pair have since failed to patch up their relationship.


Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (Hial) has seen its passenger numbers rise above 900,000 for the first time over the first two quarters of a year.

During the first half of the financial year beginning in April 2016 until September 2016, 908,116 passengers used Hial airports.
This figure was up by 111,750 on the same period last year when 796,366 passengers used the airports.
Hial operates sites in the Highlands, islands, Argyll and Dundee Airport.
Inverness Airport has reported "outstanding performances" on its new airline services connecting the Highland capital to London and Amsterdam, Hial said.


Former Manchester United and West Ham goalkeeper Roy Carroll has signed a new one-year contract with Irish Premiership club Linfield.

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Carroll, who will be 40 in September, is coming to the end of his first season with the Belfast club.
The veteran keeper's form has been important in Linfield's attempt to land the league and cup double.
Linfield are one point behind leaders Crusaders with four games left and have qualified for the Irish Cup final.
"Roy is an inspirational leader who sets the right example to all around him," said Linfield manager David Healy, who played with Carroll for Northern Ireland.
"His performances in goal for us have been exceptional, none more so than the crucial late match-winning saves in recent games against Dungannon Swifts and Crusaders."
Carroll's former clubs also include Wigan Athletic, Derby County, Danish side Odense and Olympiakos of Greece.


Cameroon interim coach Alexandre Belinga has warned his players to work as a team or be ready to be dropped.

"Any player who disturbs or is problematic would be put aside and if I was unable to put the player aside I would leave myself," Belinga said.
"My watch words are respect, discipline and humility - these qualities have been lacking in the team."
Belinga, who replaced Volker Finke on 30 October, is preparing to face Niger in a 2018 World Cup qualifying tie.
The Indomitable Lions play the first leg away on 13 November and four days later they will host the second leg.
"If the players give their best with determination and commitment, Cameroon has a good chances of reaching final phase of the 2018 World Cup," Belinga said.
Cameroon will be without Standrad Liege midfiedler Enoh Eyong, who has a leg injury, and there is also a doubt over the fitness of Marvin Matip - the  FC Ingolstadt defender will be assessed in camp by the national team doctor.
Malaga goalkeeper Idriss Karlos Kameni has been called into the 25-man group.


In the heady days of annual profits well north of £15bn, BP used to account for £1 of every £6 paid out in dividends by FTSE 100 companies to our pension funds.

Its profits in the final quarter of 2011 were £5bn. Compare that to today's figure of £1.5bn for the equivalent period in 2014.
Three factors account for BP's loss of momentum.
And all of them could well be long term.
Firstly, the oil price.
As Bob Dudley, BP's chief executive, told me at the World Economic Forum at Davos, the oil major expects the oil price to remain low for up to three years.
Now, that may be a little pessimistic. The price of Brent crude has been creeping up over the last week and American production of shale oil is being cut, which will tighten supply.
But Mr Dudley is making the "low price for a long time" argument for a reason.
He wants to push BP on costs, demanding that it becomes an oil major fashioned for an oil price between $50 and $100 a barrel rather than one only comfortable when oil is over $100 a barrel.
The fourth quarter results announced today certainly reveal the impact of the low oil price.
Impairment costs - that's the reduction in the value of the company's assets such as oil reserves - total £4.3bn before tax.
And of that, the largest proportion is associated with the North Sea, both UK and Norway.
Which must raise fresh concerns about the cost of doing business in that mature field.
The second reason for BP's lower profits is Russia, where sanctions and the precipitous decline of the rouble have meant lower returns from BP's stake in Rosneft.
Underlying income from the Russian oil giant to BP came in at £312m, compared with £730m for the same period a year ago.
Of course, Russia is also being affected by the low oil price.
As well as the diplomatic and economic fallout from its Ukrainian adventures.
The third big problem for BP is the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
This April will be the fifth anniversary of the tragedy which killed 11 oil workers and led to millions of barrels of oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico.
In its results, BP said it would increase provisions for the disaster by £317m, taking the total liability provision to £29bn.
Mr Dudley says that figure is on a par with the total insured losses from Hurricane Katrina.
The third, and final, legal case against BP has just wrapped up in New Orleans. BP is now waiting to hear the size of the fines imposed on it for the pollution in the Gulf.
It has provisioned £2.5bn. The fine, which is unlikely to be announced any time soon, could be as high as £9.1bn.
The results of these three strong headwinds is that BP is cutting operational costs and capital expenditure, the latter by as much as £4bn.
And that means difficult decisions for "marginal" areas.
Which many believe means the North Sea.
George Osborne, who has suggested that tax incentives for the sector will be announced in the March Budget, will be watching closely.


Two men have died in the US trying to stop a man abusing two women of Muslim appearance, Oregon police say.

The abusive man turned on the two men and fatally stabbed them in the city of Portland, police said.
The incident happened on a commuter train. Another passenger was wounded before the attacker was arrested.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations urged President Trump to speak out against increasing Islamophobia in the US.
It accused the president of exacerbating the trend with his statements and policies.
The attack took place at about 16:30 local time (00:30 GMT) on a train at Hollywood Transit Station, police said in a statement. One of the victims died at the scene, the other died in hospital.
Police have identified the suspect as Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35. He has been charged with offences including aggravated murder, attempted murder, intimidation and being a felon in possession of a restricted weapon.
"Suspect was on the train and he was yelling and ranting and raving a lot of different things, including what would be characterised as hate speech or biased language," said Sgt Pete Simpson.
"In the midst of his ranting and raving, some people approached him, appeared to try to intervene with his behaviour. Some of the people that he was yelling at, they were attacked viciously by the suspect, resulting in the two deaths and one injury."
Jeremy Joseph Christian was arrested shortly after he got off the train. The two women he was abusing - one of whom was said by eyewitnesses to have been wearing a headscarf - left the scene before police could speak to them.
However one of the girls' parents later told the Oregonian newspaper that they were teenagers, one black and one Muslim.
Dyjuana Hudson said the attacker "was saying that Muslims should die. That they've been killing Christians for years".


Nato has pledged to counter "hybrid warfare" from Russia.

The alliance said it must adapt to the mixture of conventional military tactics, subversive campaigns and cyber-warfare that Russia was using in Ukraine.
Nato says that Russia is backing rebels in Ukraine - a claim denied by Moscow.
Three Baltic countries are preparing to ask for a permanent presence of Nato troops on their soil to act as a deterrent to the Russian military.
"Hybrid warfare combines different types of threats, including conventional, subversion and cyber," said Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg.
"When the world has changed, Nato has to adapt," he added.
Speaking after a meeting of defence ministers in Turkey, Mr Stoltenberg said that a more assertive Russia had been using force to change borders and intimidate its neighbours.
The two-day conference was also attended by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. Nato has said that it will look to increase its co-operation and intelligence sharing with the EU.
"We will ensure that the strategies we are developing are complementary, so that we can work together quickly and effectively in the case of a hybrid threat against any of our members," said Mr Stoltenberg.
In another development, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have said they are preparing to ask Nato to station one troop battalion in each country.
Lithuanian Army spokesman Capt Mindaugas Neimontas said that the request would be made in a joint letter later this week.
"It is necessary because of the security situation," he told The Associated Press news agency. "It's not getting better in our region, so it will be a deterrent."
There is growing concern over increased military activity from Russia.
On Thursday, RAF fighter jets were scrambled after two Russian military aircraft were seen flying towards UK airspace.
Nato forces have also stepped up military exercises, especially in eastern European nations.
The alliance is conducting its largest ever anti-submarine warfare exercise in the North Sea, off the coast of Norway.
The West has criticised Russia for annexing the Crimean peninsula and has accused Russia of arming rebels in the east of Ukraine.
More than 6,000 people have been killed in fighting which began in April 2014 between Ukrainian government forces and rebels in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
The lull in the conflict in eastern Ukraine since February's ceasefire has been punctuated by frequent violations, and on Tuesday Ukraine said three of its soldiers had been killed in the past 24 hours.


The 2015 Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) award has been won by Kathryn Joseph, for her album 'Bones You Have Thrown Me, And Blood I've Spilled.'

Aberdeen's Ms Joseph had previously said in an interview she couldn't imagine winning the award.
Her album was judged the "most outstanding" Scottish album released between January 2014 and March 2015.
Artists on the award's shortlist included Belle and Sebastian, Paolo Nutini and Paws.
The award was developed by the Scottish Music Industry Association in partnership with Creative Scotland.
Ms Joseph has previously featured for BBC Introducing on the Vic Galloway show on Radio Scotland.


As the world celebrates the centenary of the birth of Dylan Thomas, the National Poet of Wales has hailed him as one of the all-time literary greats.

Gillian Clarke has spent the past 12 months re-reading the works of Swansea-born Thomas.
She said: "Under Milk Wood changed my life. I think Dylan Thomas, Auden and TS Eliot changed everything."
Thomas' granddaughter Hannah Ellis said the centenary celebrations across the globe had exceeded her expectations.
She said: "I think Wales and the world as a whole have celebrated the centenary more than I could have hoped.
"My aim was to revitalise my grandfather's work and bring the focus back to his writing and celebrate his achievements.
"People like the myths about my grandfather, but it's the writing that is the legacy."
Source: Dylanthomas.com
Thomas was born in Swansea 100 years ago and there are events in his home city and across the globe to remember both the man and his work.
On Sunday Michael Sheen's production of Under Milk Wood was staged in New York - where the writer died on 9 November, 1953.
The performance was broadcast live on BBC Wales on Sunday and can be heard for the next 30 days.
There is also a free interactive BBC e-book, Dylan Thomas - The Road to Milk Wood, which includes video and audio of performances from the likes of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.
In Swansea, every word Thomas wrote is being read aloud on stage at the Grand Theatre as part of the Dylathon.
And the annual Dylan Thomas festival is also beginning to coincide with other events around the world.
They are the latest in a year-long programme of celebrations remembering one of the 20th Century's greatest writers.
Gillian Clarke said hearing Under Milk Wood set her on the path to becoming a poet.
She said: "I heard Under Milk Wood and it was so funny, so touching, so human, so like the things that go on in a real human's head.
"It was just amazing. It changed my life. I thought this is literature. I think of it as a marvellous poem.
"It broke new ground in poetry. It broke every taboo that stopped me writing.
"Suddenly I began to believe it was possible [to be a poet] because of Under Milk Wood.
"I've even read every word by Dylan Thomas in preparation for this year and it excites me even more."
26-27 Oct: The Dylathon, Swansea
26 Oct - 4 Dec: Dylan Thomas Centennial Exhibition at the 92Y, New York
29 Oct-1 Nov: Bedazzled, Cardiff
27 Oct: Love the Words exhibition opens at Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea
27 Oct-9 Nov: The Dylan Thomas Festival, Swansea
27 Oct: Cerys Matthews' new recording A Child's Christmas, Poems and Tiger Eggs is released
30 Oct: Dylan Thomas a Literary Life, Sydney University
30 Oct- 8 Nov: A Child's Christmas in Wales, Grand Theatre, Swansea
Oct - 4 Dec: Dylan exhibition continues at National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth
Source: The Dylan Thomas Centenary


A letter written by a survivor of the Battle of Waterloo is to be put on display for the first time.

Cpt William Turnor's letter is part of an exhibition at Cambridge University Library, looking at how the battle was recorded in its aftermath.
He described how the French "fought with desperation" and praised the "savagely courageous" English.
The exhibition to mark the 200th anniversary of the battle opens on 1 May.
The battle in present-day Belgium on 18 June 1815 saw the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte and led to the fall of the French empire.
It was won by an alliance including the British, led by the Duke of Wellington, and the Prussians.
Historian and co-curator Dr Mark Nicholls said: "The exhibition really shows us the first draft of history as it was being written in the days, months and years after the battle."
Cpt Turnor was born in Esham in Hampshire and served with the infantry regiment the 14th Foot.
The day after the battle, on 19 June 1815, he wrote to JP Clarke of Daventry, in Northamptonshire, that it was "the most bloody as well as the most decisive battle".
"Buonaparte (sic)... showed the greatest courage; led in person many charges both of infantry and cavalry.
"The escape of Lord Wellington is next to a miracle, for he was exposed the whole day to the hottest fire."
Mr Clarke is thought to have served with the 14th Foot.
The captain, who was 33 at the time, went on to become a major general before dying, aged 78, in 1860.
Co-curator John Wells said: "The importance of Waterloo was fully recognised by the generations which came after it.
"Both Byron and Tennyson wrote of Waterloo as an 'earthquake'."
Other exhibits in A Damned Serious Business: Waterloo 1815, the Battle and its Books, include political propaganda, military drill-books and mementoes from the battlefield.