Mr Al Fayed owns the 65,000 acre Balnagown estate in Easter Ross, in the Scottish Highlands. He described the estate as "the most beautiful place in the Highlands".

And he told BBC Radio Scotland that when the country was was "free and independent I am going to move there permanently".

The Harrods owner argued that the devolved Scottish Government had "no real power".

When asked how he felt about the Holyrood administration, Mr Al Fayed said: "They just keep talking and taking no action. They are the zombies of the south. They just have to take instructions from the south.

"They have no real power in their hands to create the different type of society, looking after the needy, looking after the poor."

Mr Al Fayed also argued that Scotland had to have "the main share out of the oil revenues". He said "God blessed you there with the oil" but added that the revenues were controlled by the south.

He also stated he was "trying to move on" following the conclusion of inquests into the death of his son Dodi and Diana, Princess of Wales.

A jury last month returned a verdict that the couple had been unlawfully killed.

Mr Al Fayed told the Shereen programme, presented by Shereen Nanjiani: "I am trying to move on. It's one of the greatest tragedies of the 21st century."