STV says its coverage of tomorrow's general election will be its "most ambitious ever election night programme" with blanket live television and web streaming planned to run through the night and into Friday morning.

Anchored by STV's political editor, Bernard Ponsonby, the programme will bring viewers coverage and analysis of the results in Scotland and across the UK.

Coverage will start at 9.55pm with a UK exit poll from ITN, before switching to Scottish coverage from 10.30. The full Scottish programme will run unbroken until 6am featuring live links at 13 locations across Scotland - the largest number of outside broadcast units ever employed for a live event by STV. 

In all the broadcaster will provide live coverage of 31 of the 59 Scottish declarations as they happen and will provide coverage from elsewhere in the UK using ITN footage.

STV's Westminster correspondent Harry Smith will be in Gordon Brown's Kirkcaldy constituency and political correspondent Jamie Livingstone will be with chancellor Alistair Darling in Edinburgh.

The whole broadcast will be streamed live to the world on the station's website alongside an interactive discussion urging viewers to post their thoughts. The best will be featured on the programme.

STV's election website will feature real-time results, statistics and analysis and Twitter updates from the channel's reporters stationed at the counts.

Gordon Macmillan, head of news at STV, said: “This is one of the most exciting and tightest political battles we have seen for years and we’re delighted to be providing live updates from across Scotland all through the night. 

"We have the most outside broadcast units ever employed by STV for a single event and a first rate political team working through the night to bring viewers the results as and when they happen.

On Friday, a 6pm STV News special will be anchored from Westminster by John MacKay and Andrea Brymer, as the new UK political landscape takes shape.