RUTH Davidson has launched an extraordinary attack on the SNP after a Nationalist MP raised questions at Westminster about her appointment as an honorary colonel.

Interrupting a two-week holiday, the Scottish Tory leader posted dozens of tweets defending her role with her former Army reservist unit, the 32 Signal Regiment.

The rant said “SNP outriders” had spurred “fury brigades on social media”, and she feared it would deter others taking on such roles in case they got “the Highland Spring treatment”, a reference to a backlash against the bottled water firm after its boss criticised SNP policy.

The SNP said the “summer meltdown” showed how much the Tory leader needed a break.

When Ms Davidson’s appointment was announced last month, there were bogus claims she had breached Army neutrality by wearing her uniform to promote Armed Forces Day.

Douglas Chapman, the MP for Dunfermline & West Fife, also tabled parliamentary questions asking the Defence Secretary about the background to Ms Davidson’s appointment.

The UK government has now released files showing the regiment’s commanding officer first approached Ms Davidson about taking on the role late last year.

He said Ms Davidson’s “eminence in her political field” would “grant the Unit wider influence within the civilian field”; said she was comfortable with soldiers; was already supporting the Army’s drive to recruit reserve officers; and possessed “wisdom”.

He continued: “As an influential politician, Ms Davidson would prove a wise counsellor to myself and the COs that follow me, in local political matters and community engagement.”

As the material was released, Ms Davidson posted 35 consecutive tweets to Mr Chapman and the SNP, including nine pages of correspondence and Army rules.

She said the response from some senior SNP members to her appointment had been “fairly bizarre”, and revealed she had asked for its announcement, originally due in April, to be put back until after the council and general elections “to try to take the politics out of it”.

She added: “Some chance in Scotland 2017. I know that the fury brigades on social media react to the slightest trigger, and I am a pretty stout veteran of 2014, but even I wasn't expecting the hostile and vitriolic tirades that followed the event at Edinburgh Castle to promote Armed Forces day, encouraged by SNP outriders.

“There are thousands of Scots involved in the UK armed forces, both regular and reserve.

“Hon positions have existed for decades to help and support regimental work.

“While, yes, they are frequently taken up by senior retired officers, it is becoming increasingly common for civilians to perform the role - especially with reserve units as they can perform an important link with civilian employers etc.

“My fear is that people will think twice about saying yes if they reckon they're going to get the 'Highland Spring' treatment."

She said her five-year appointment would be "entirely non party-political", adding: "The change in approach from the SNP these past few months has been really interesting. Support them or not, they were always a serious party of government.

“But their crouching defensiveness over the sort of stuff they would have simply brushed off a couple of years ago has been remarkable to observe. "The effort that must be involved in being so furious all the time must be exhausting.”

An SNP spokesperson said: “Ruth Davidson’s summer meltdown suggests her holiday is long overdue and much needed after this bizarre Twitter rant.

“These are perfectly legitimate questions - it is only right that an MP can hold the party of government to account. Being quite this hot-headed is not a great look for a political leader nor, for that matter, a Colonel.”