Campaigning for the Scottish parliament has reached fever pitch with the Labour Party mounting a last minute bid to boost turnout.

Labour fears that low turnout in its heartland areas could hand victory to the SNP and has launched an 11th hour bid to mobilise support.

Warning voters not to gamble on the nationalists, Scotland's first minister Jack McConnell will tour key areas today to sell his message.

Helen Liddell, the Scottish secretary, will also hit the campaign trail to warn against the risks of independence.

"We have less than a week to save thousands of Scottish jobs and skills built up over generations from destruction by the Nationalists," she said last night.

But the SNP is fighting back - with party leader John Swinney using the final day of campaigning to vow to "relentlessly fight for Scotland".

"Tomorrow the people of Scotland have a momentous opportunity: the opportunity to stand up for ourselves, to return Scotland's values to Scotland's government and to create a new age of national optimism," he will say.

"These are the choices facing the people; the choices that will shape our country's future: an SNP government that will relentlessly fight for Scotland or four more years of Labour failure.

"An SNP government that will always put people before profit in our public services or four more years of PFI privatisation.

"An SNP government committed to winning full economic powers or four more years of the lowest economic growth in Europe."

The Scottish Lib Dems are going into the last hours of campaigning fighting on the issue of health

"Throughout this election campaign, we have set out detailed, positive proposals to make the difference for health," said Jim Wallace.

"We will help people to improve their health, cut waiting times with extra nurses and doctors and make health services more accessible, bringing them closer to people's homes.

"Scotland must not remain the Sick Person of Europe. We want every citizen in every part of Scotland to benefit from a radical revolution in health. Scottish Liberal Democrats will turn this around, putting health promotion and illness prevention at the heart of health policy."

The Scottish Tories are also attempting to rise above the slanging match which has broken out between Scotland's two main parties.

Party leader David McLetchie insisted he has fought "a positive campaign from start to finish".

"The last four years of the Scottish parliament have shown that the Scottish Conservatives have been the only effective opposition to the left-wing Scottish political consensus, of which Labour, the Lib Dems and the SNP are fully paid up members," he said.

"Scottish Conservatives are the only party promising to reform the public services which are currently failing too many of our people, but which the other parties merely wish to throw more and more money at without changing the system."

And the Scottish Socialists, who hope to exploit Labour's weakness, says it could surprise the country on Friday morning.

"We have had two more good polls that show the SSP in a strong position. However, we need to translate those poll intentions into votes on Thursday," said party leader Tommy Sheridan.

"We are distributing half a million peach-coloured leaflets emphasising the second vote. We will also be engaged in an email and text message campaign.

"The SSP could be the sensation of the Scottish parliament election if we get our vote out. It's clear our radical policies of scrapping the council tax and attacking poverty have struck a chord with voters."