The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) will launch an appeal to the Supreme Court to stop the minimum unit pricing of alcohol.

It is the latest in a series of legal challenges to stop the Scottish Government's planned implementation of minimum pricing.

Lord Carloway at the Court of Session ruled in October that the plans to ensure each unit of alcohol costs 50p was legal.

He said the SWA's case against minimum pricing "was not well founded".

Julie Hesketh-Laird, SWA acting chief executive, said: "Having carefully considered the ruling from the Court of Session on minimum unit pricing of alcohol, and reflected on our options, we have decided to appeal to the UK Supreme Court.

"This is not a decision we have taken lightly. It comes after wide consultation with our member companies and other parties to the case to see whether there is an alternative way forward.

"However, given our strong view that minimum pricing is incompatible with EU law and likely to be ineffective, we now hope that our appeal can be heard quickly in the UK Supreme Court."

She added: "Having studied the ruling, we believe the Scottish court has not properly reviewed the legislation's compatibility with EU law as required by the European Court's judgment.

"We remain committed to working closely with the Scottish Government and everyone else who shares our common goal of tackling alcohol misuse.

"By working effectively in partnership we hope the long-term trend decline in alcohol-related harms in Scotland will continue."

The Scottish Government called the decision by the whisky industry to seek a final appeal "deeply disappointing".

Health secretary Shona Robison said: "The SWA's decision to appeal against last month's emphatic ruling from the Court of Session is deeply disappointing.

"Their seeking leave to appeal to the Supreme Court is now the only stumbling block to minimum unit pricing being introduced. Of course, it is not yet inevitable that the appeal would proceed all the way to the Supreme Court.

"I think the SWA may want to consider that minimum unit pricing was passed with the overwhelming support of the Parliament, has been tested in Europe, and has now been approved twice in the Scottish courts.

Robison continued: "We remain committed to ongoing dialogue with the alcohol industry. Should the SWA drop their appeal, and accept that the time has now come to implement this measure that will save lives, they could expect very strong support from across Scotland.

"Minimum unit pricing is one of a range of measures we are implementing to reduce alcohol-related harm, and we will be introducing a refreshed alcohol framework next year.

"We remain determined to implement this policy as soon as possible, and we're confident that, like the Court of Session, the Supreme Court will find the policy to be lawful."

The Scottish Parliament voted for the legislation in 2012 but its implementation was halted after the SWA and other alcohol producers launched a legal challenge.

The initial challenge to the legislation was rejected by Lord Doherty at the Court of Session in 2013 but it was later referred to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in 2014 after an appeal hearing.

Last December, the ECJ ruled the Scottish Government's plans would breach EU law if alternative tax measures, instead of minimum pricing, could be introduced instead.

The ECJ concluded a tax rise on alcoholic drinks "is liable to be less restrictive of trade" than the current plans. They said it would be for the Court of Session to determine if an alternative could be found.

The Scottish Government has said it wants to bring in minimum unit pricing "as soon as possible".