Dr McLellan said Peterhead Prison had made progress

But the conditions would never be "decent" while the practice of slopping out continued, the chief inspector of prisons Dr Andrew McLellan said.

Dr McLellan welcomed the fact that prisoners were no longer sharing cells.

His findings, from a follow-up visit made in March, also noted that the installation of electric power in cells had been now completed.

He said every prison in Scotland now had power in all cells.

Another plus point was new "top-end" accommodation, which provided very good living conditions for a small number of prisoners in the jail, which houses sex offenders

Prisoners are no longer sharing cells in Peterhead and this does make slopping out less disgraceful than before Dr Andrew McLellan

Dr McLellan was also pleased that a considerable number of prisoners were participating in the STOP programme, aimed at tackling sex offending.

Previous reports had expressed dismay at the small number of prisoners participating in the programme, which is at the centre of the strategy seeking to reduce reoffending.

'Downgrade' hall

Dr McLellan said that prisoners who did not want to take part in the STOP programme were no longer held together in 'B' Hall.

This removed the stigma of a "downgrade" hall, he said.

However, the chief inspector also pointed out that prisoners were spending long periods of time locked up in their cells.

Dr McLellan said: "Prisoners are no longer sharing cells in Peterhead and this does make slopping out less disgraceful than before.

Major improvement

"But the conditions in which Peterhead prisoners live will never be decent while slopping out continues."

He said that the new "top-end" accommodation marked a real improvement in preparing long-term prisoners for release.

But he said: "It is still, however, a very long way short of pre-release arrangements for prisoners in other prisons."