When the Scottish National party seized control of the Edinburgh parliament from Labour by the narrowest possible margin four months ago, many believed a party more accustomed to operating as a pressure group than a party of government might find it hard to grasp the reins of office.

But supporters have been vindicated and critics confounded. The party and its leader, Alex Salmond, have come to dominate the country’s political landscape. The voters seem to like it, too. Opinion polls show high levels of satisfaction with the minority executive, which this week renamed itself the Scottish government.