Kate and William to spend more time in Scotland as palace fears politicians are losing the country

Prince William and Kate Middleton, who recently carried out a mini-tour of Scotland, will reportedly be asked by Buckingham Palace to spend a lot more time in the country in an attempt to "save the United Kingdom."

According to a report in the Sunday Times, the royal officials are growing uneasy at the prospect of Scotland breaking away from the rest of the UK, as the ruling Scottish National Party (SNP) led by Nicola Sturgeon continues to push for a second referendum after sweeping the board at May's Holyrood elections. Therefore, the Crown has decided to take things into their own hands and strengthen England's relations with Scotland with some good-old royal diplomacy.

A source close to the Royal household told the outlet, "They think of it as their Union. It was originally a union of crowns. They think the politicians have been losing Scotland for them."

If the proposal goes ahead, the Cambridges would spend more time at their Scottish cottage at the Queen's Balmoral estate, and will also build on their connection with their former university town of St Andrews. William and Kate had returned to their college, where they first met two decades ago and fell in love, during their recent tour to Scotland as well.

The Duke spoke about the importance of Scotland to his family during a speech, saying, "Needless to say, the town where you meet your future wife holds a very special place in your heart. George, Charlotte and Louis already know how dear Scotland is to both of us, and they are starting to build their own happy memories here too."

During the tour, the Cambridges also sat down for talks with former UK prime minister Gordon Brown, who has recently launched a renewed campaign to save the Union. William also held meetings with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Alistair Carmichael, Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland.

Officials hope that the couple's next visits to Scotland could build on the success of their recent tour.

"What William is doing is a deliberately more muscular approach to the crown investing in the relationship with Scotland," the insider said, adding that royal aides want him and Kate "not to look like visitors but to look like residents."