The National:

IF there’s one thing politicians are good at, it’s photo opportunities. Just ask Willie Rennie.

And if there’s one thing global conferences such as COP26 are good for, it’s photo ops.

Leaders have been queueing up to take snaps with each other, from Boris Johnson with Narendra Modi (below), to Nicola Sturgeon with Angela Merkel.

The National:

However, it seems that this pretty standard behaviour from politicians worldwide has irked some - but only when it’s Scots politicians doing it.

“Not sure about Scot Gov ministers tweeting pics everytime they bump into a current or former politician from another country. Does it make them look like fan boys and girls? Should we be so in awe? Does it make us look small? Should it make the front page of a national newspaper?” Holyrood magazine editor Mandy Rhodes tweeted earlier on Friday.

Predictably perhaps considering the jibe was aimed at politicians, a lot of politicians have a thing or two to say about that.

“This is literally the most normal thing - especially at an international summit. Ditch the cringe,” SNP MP Stewart McDonald responded.

“Only in Scotland would our elected representatives engaging in diplomacy be questioned like this,” one Marcus Carslaw added.

“Ach, much better for journos if they don’t ‘cos they can then be accused of having secret meetings,” former cabinet secretary Roseanna Cunningham quipped, adding: “Are you seriously trying to manufacture a grievance out of this?”

Former MSP Paul Wheelhouse said: “Surely it’s especially useful, post-Brexit and in context of trade disputes/actions elsewhere, to show folk Scotland are well-engaged with EU members and other nations and that those others are interested in what Scottish Gov’t & their agencies are doing on the Climate Emergency?”

One Roddy McGlynn pointed out the obvious - that this tendency is far from exclusive to “Scot Gov ministers”.

Gary Paterson added: “You only need to look at leaders from other countries to see that it's entirely normal, and I couldn't imagine their media being quite as baffled as to why we would want to communicate to the world as some appear to in Scotland.”

Quite.