ONE of Scotland's top actors has revealed how he helped relieve the First Minister's greatest phobia - over a dinner at her official Edinburgh residence last week.

Good Wife star Alan Cumming has told how Nicola Sturgeon - once described as the Most Dangerous Woman In Britain - managed to overcome a lifetime's anxiety of dogs after being introduced to his "very soothing" pet pooch Lala.

The actor, from Aberfeldy in Perthshire, said dogs had been the politicians "Kryptonite" until her meeting with Cumming's pet, which he regularly shows off on social media.

She previously confessed on Twitter that she suffered a "fear" of the animal "rather than an aversion" but it wasn't "the dogs' fault".

Recounting the recent dinner to pupils at a school in the capital yesterday, Mr Cummings, who is performing at the Edinburgh International Festival (EIF), reiterated his support for Scottish independence and said: "Nicola Sturgeon actually came to see my show the other night, she invited me and my band for dinner at Bute House.

"Nicola came to the show and then she came to the bar for a drink, and Lala came to that.

"Nicola is actually terrified of dogs, I didn't know that, it's her Kryptonite, it's the one chink in her armour.

"But she actually said because Lala is so lovely, and a very soothing dog, it's the first dog then Nicola had ever felt safe with - isn't that nice?

"Lala is a calming influence for world leaders," he added.

Mr Cumming, in candid form on a very different kind of stage, answered questions from pupils at Castlebrae Community High School in the Craigmillar area.

He also expounded on his views to Years 1-6 on his favourite films, his inspirations, his extremely dim view of Donald Trump and Brexit, his support for Democratic Candidate Hilary Clinton and President Barack Obama.

The actor also answered some pointed questions from the audience of pupils in a private event at the school, about Harry Potter (he likes), Game of Thrones (it has put him to sleep), Pokemon (it's fun), his favourite classes at school (music), whether he has been to Dunfermline (he has), Katy Perry (she likes white wine and is taller than you think) what he misses about Scotland (the humour and mushy peas), and what he doesn't miss about Scotland ("snidey Scottish journalists").

Castlebrae has a special relationship with the EIF, which has a three year residency at the school, and next year the school will be a venue for the festival for a show next to be announced.

Mr Cumming, who lives in New York and is a US citizen and retains a flat in Scotland, spoke about his opposition to Trump and his style of politics.

He said he would vote for Clinton in the forthcoming Presidential election.

"America right now, it is a scary, scary time because Donald Trump is a frightening person, I don't think he is going to win, it looks like the tide has turned and Hilary is going to win, but just before I came here it was a scary time, it looked like he was actually could win," he said.

He later added, when asked what his greatest fear was: "My biggest fear is how fear can be used, actually, and the Brexit thing and Donald Trump in America are two examples of how politicians and people in positions of power abuse their positions by making people scared about things to try and get them to do what they want.

"The Brexit thing: I think people were scared, about something about that didn't really exist.

"We have seen it in different times in history. With Donald Trump we have seen him say horrible things about people's race, about women, about disabled people, even sort of encouraging people to shoot Hilary Clinton....he is encouraging violence at his rallies, and that is what dictators did, that is what Hitler did, that's what Mussolini did, so that really worries me.

He added: "We live in scary times and it is easy for dangerous people to be elected into power."