The Conservatives took several SNP seats in a dramatic general election which sees the UK heading for a hung parliament.

In Scotland, the Tory party made big gains, which included the "political earthquake" of the night as former nationalist leader Alex Salmond lost his Gordon seat.

Other high-profile losses for the SNP included depute leader Angus Robertson, who was beaten in his Moray constituency in the early hours of Friday, while the party's former chief whip Pete Wishart clung onto his Perth and North Perthshire seat by 21 votes in the face of a Tory surge.

The UK-wide picture shows Prime Minister Theresa May's political gamble of calling a snap general election has appeared to have backfired as the Conservatives have come away with fewer seats than they started with - and, crucially, short of the 326-seat majority they were seeking.

In Scotland, the SNP held 35 of the 56 seats they won in 2015 - losing 21 MPs in the vote.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said: "We've won the election in Scotland - I'm pleased about that - but we've suffered losses, some of them particularly personally sore, so clearly we've got to reflect on those."

The First Minister said the election had been a "disaster" for May, but admitted that it had been a "disappointing" night for her party.

She added: "Clearly there are issues of the country feeling uncertain in the wake of Brexit and independence clearly being a factor in that."

Ms Sturgeon said later on Twitter she was "proud that the SNP won the election in Scotland with more MPs than all other parties combined".

She said the party had suffered "bitterly disappointing losses" and would now "reflect carefully on the results and move forward in the best interests of all of Scotland".

With the Tories having lost their majority in the Commons, the First Minister continued: "UK-wide, we will seek to work with others to halt hard Brexit and bring an end to austerity, where business as usual cannot be an option."

Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson celebrated a "historic night" for her party north of the border, and stated in one interview the result for the SNP left any prospect of a second independence referendum "dead".

Davidson said: "Nicola Sturgeon has lost Westminster parliamentary colleagues because she is trying to ram through a second independence referendum. People thought voting for us was a wasted vote but we've shown we can win in Scotland."

While the Tories came away with 13 seats in Scotland, in England they fared far worse, losing at least 21 seats, leaving them on course to pick up a total of 319 - down by 11 overall.

Prime Minister May promised a "period of stability", but buoyant Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called on her to stand down, having failed to secure the mandate she sought.

In Scotland, Labour performed better than many predicted, with gains in the central belt - including in Glasgow North East and Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill as they secured seven Scottish seats compared to one in 2015.

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said: "There has been a collapse of the SNP's support and a clear rejection of Nicola Sturgeon and a clear rejection of a second independence referendum.

"I think what you've got is a fantastic result for the Labour family."

The Scottish Liberal Democrats held onto their one seat from 2015, as well as gaining three more MPs.

Jo Swinson, who has been re-elected to East Dunbartonshire having previously lost the seat to the SNP's John Nicolson in 2015, said: "I recognise all of those who put party allegiance to one side to send a clear message that East Dunbartonshire does not want another divisive independence referendum.

"Nicola Sturgeon, I hope you're listening."