NICOLA Sturgeon has been "overwhelmed" by well-wishers on her 50th birthday after being inundated with cards, flowers and messages.

The First Minister is celebrating turning 50 with husband and SNP chief executive Peter Murrell in Scotland, after plans to go on holiday for the occasion were curtailed by coronavirus.

In a post on Twitter, which ended with a love heart emoji, Sturgeon wrote: "To say I'm overwhelmed by all the cards, flowers and good wishes I have received from across the country for my (ahem) 50th birthday, would be an understatement...so I just wanted to pop on here briefly (before hopefully staying away for the rest of the day!) to say thank you."

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon turns 50: What her Mum has to say

Speaking to the Scotland on Sunday in an interview to mark her birthday, she said: "I am a bit perplexed as to how, suddenly, I'm 50.

"I think with politicians there must be something about living in four or five-year election cycles - suddenly four of them have gone past and that's 20 years of your life."

Sturgeon also revealed the one request she has made to her husband – a walk on the South Ayrshire coast in her father's hometown.

"The only thing I have said to Peter I really want to do is go for a walk along the beach in Dunure. I spent a lot of my childhood there because it's where my dad grew up and where my grandparents lived until they died," she said.

Earlier, Murrell posted a tweet showing large, helium-filled balloons shaped in the number 50, captioned with a love heart emoji and "Wakey Wakey @NicolaSturgeon".

Thousands of people across the country will mark the occassion tonight at 8pm with a "Clap for Nicola".

READ MORE: 'Clap for Nicola': Thousands to applaud on FM's 50th birthday