Britain's Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that the Scottish government does not have enough unilateral authority to hold a new independence referendum.
It is a step back in the Scottish administration's efforts to vote next year to secede from the rest of the Kingdom. However, they hope to fight back by other means.
"We must and will find another democratic, legal and constitutional way for the Scottish people to express their will. The solution may be elections. The upcoming national elections planned for Scotland, part of Britain's general election, represent the clearest chance to seek a de facto referendum," said Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's First Minister.
The British government in London welcomed the decision, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stressing that Scotland's future is brighter within the United Kingdom.
"I think the people of Scotland want us to work together to solve the collective challenges we face, be it economic, health system, or supporting Ukraine. Now is the time for politicians to work together and that's what we will do," said Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
In 2014, Scotland held a referendum on independence, where the part that wanted to stay within the United Kingdom won by 10 percentage points.
However, after Britain voted as a whole to leave the EU, the issue returned as most Scots wanted to stay in the European bloc.