Boris Johnson has declared himself Ruth Davidson's "number one fan" before meeting with the Scottish Conservative leader in Edinburgh.

Attempting to pour cold water on the perception of a rift between the pair, the Prime Minister said he shared "a huge range of political beliefs" with the Scottish Tory leader.

Speaking on his first trip to Scotland as PM, Johnson's remarks come the day after Davidson declared she would not back the UK Government if it pursued a no-deal Brexit.

But the Scottish Conservative leader said she had been privately reassured in her meeting with Johnson that his government's goal was to strike a new Brexit deal.

Earlier, the Prime Minister visited Faslane naval base and was given a tour of the HMS Victorious, one of four Vanguard-class nuclear submarines stationed at the site near Helensburgh.

He said: "I'm a number one fan of Ruth Davidson and what she's done for Scottish Conservatives.

"It's she who is taking the fight to the Scottish nationalists, those who would destroy the union.

"She's been fantastically successful and I admire her brand of Conservatism very much.

"Indeed, she and I share a huge range of political beliefs and our core philosophy is the same."

On Brexit, he added: "I also think she's right to think we should be going for a deal, not no-deal. That's where we should be trying to end up.

"But it's the responsibility of the government of the United Kingdom to make sure we are prepared for every eventuality.

"And if our partners won't move - they won't take out the backstop, they won't even begin to change that withdrawal agreement, they won't compromise at all - then of course we've got to get ready for no deal."

Johnson also contradicted his Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove - and chief no-deal planner - who said on Sunday a no-deal Brexit was the "working assumption" of UK ministers.

Asked if that was the case, the PM said: "Absolutely not. My assumption is that we can get a deal, we're aiming for a new deal.

"But Michael is of course absolutely right that it's responsible for any government to prepare for no-deal if we absolutely have to."

Johnson's Scotland visit - the latest stop in a UK tour - follows days of media coverage suggesting tension with Davidson over the sacking of long-serving Scottish secretary David Mundell.

There has also been rumours of growing support within Scottish Conservative ranks for a breakaway from the UK party due to Johnson's perceived toxicity with Scottish voters - although Davidson has long opposed such a move.

Addressing that, the Prime Minister said: "Don't forget that Ruth herself she doesn't want to see any such outcome. I think she's said that repeatedly and she's dead right.

"We stand together - we stand for things that are so important for our country. The value of the union and the United Kingdom.

"Look at where we are... £1.7bn of investment flowing directly from Scotland's membership of the UK into defence alone.

"The second biggest employer in Scotland is the MoD - these are tangible benefits from the union that I don't think we've done enough to talk up.

"Ruth and I are absolutely at one in wanting to do that."

Speaking after their meeting at the Scottish Parliament, Davidson said: ""We had an incredibly constructive meeting.

"We covered a number of areas, talking about Brexit, the need to make sure we can get a deal across the line, and I support the Prime Minister wholeheartedly in getting that deal.

"We talked about how we can continue to have the UK Government deliver in Scotland, for Scots, and how we can build on that delivery, and also how we can continue to take on Nicola Sturgeon and oppose her obsession with another independence referendum."

The Scottish Tory leader added: "Our MPs voted for a deal the last time it came to Parliament, all 13 of them.

"I think the question is why have you got Nicola Sturgeon being so hypocritical, running around saying a no-deal is terrible but saying in the same breath that she'll make sure her MPs oppose any deal that this new Prime Minister brings to Parliament.

"I want to see the Prime Minister get a deal, I want to support him in that.

"I pressed him today on ensuring that we see the sort of shuttle diplomacy we're going to need to get a deal with the European Union that we can bring back to the House of Commons and that we can get across the line.

"I expect and hope the Scottish Conservative MPs absolutely will back that deal in the same way that they backed the last deal that Theresa May brought forward."

Later, he arrived at First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's Bute House residence for talks in the Scottish capital.

Groups of independence campaigners and pro-EU demonstrators gathered across the street of Bute House and met Johnson with a chorus of boos when he arrived, along with some cheers.

Sturgeon earlier warned Johnson that his "hard-line" government was "driving the country towards disaster".

In his victory speech Boris Johnson spoke of uniting the country.

It was the 'U' part of his DUDE strategy for government.

This visit to Scotland is part of his attempt to put that into action and weaken support for independence by highlighting the benefits of the union.

On top of that, however, he has work to do to build relations with the leader of the Scottish party.

In defiance of the new Prime Minister, Ruth Davidson has made it clear she will oppose a no-deal Brexit.

Over the weekend the UK government said it was ramping up preparations for that very outcome.

The pair had already clashed over Mr Johnson's decision to sack David Mundell as Scottish Secretary.

That showed a Prime Minister willing to ignore advice of the party's leader in Scotland and get rid of one of her closest allies.

Previously Ms Davidson could argue she held sway in Number 10 when David Cameron and Theresa May were in office.

That is now history.

And the issue goes far deeper than a personal fallout between the pair.

Ruth Davidson has reaped the rewards at the ballot box of pursuing a deliberate strategy of detoxifying the Tory brand in Scotland.

But that is now is at risk of being ripped apart.

Boris Johnson represents the kind of Conservatism that she has been trying to consign to the past, and in many areas it will be a tough sell on the doorstep.

Their face to face meeting today, and whether they can find a way to work together, could have a profound impact on the future of the union.