First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says the SNP will use the next general election as an attempt to show a majority of people in Scotland support independence.
She was responding to the Supreme Court's unanimous ruling yesterday that she does not have the power to hold a referendum next year.
Ms Sturgeon said she respected the ruling, which she admitted was a "tough pill to swallow".
But she said the independence movement had to now find a new way forward, reports the BBC.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomed the "clear and definitive ruling from the Supreme Court".
He told MPs: "The people of Scotland want us to be working on fixing the major challenges that we collectively face - whether that's the economy, supporting the NHS or indeed supporting Ukraine.
Work together
"Now is the time for politicians to work together and that's what this government will do."
Downing Street said Mr Sunak will seek to avoid another referendum while he is prime minister.
His press secretary told reporters: "I think that would be something that we would look to do."
She added that there had been a "once-in-a-generation referendum not too long ago and that result should be respected".
Ms Sturgeon had wanted to hold a referendum on October 19 next year, but the UK Government has refused to grant the formal consent that was in place ahead of the last referendum in 2014, when voters backed staying in the UK by 55% to 45%.
The Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish Government cannot hold an independence referendum without Westminster's consent.
Laws
Court president Lord Reed said the laws that created the devolved Scottish Parliament in 1999 meant it did not have power over areas of the constitution including the union between Scotland and England.
These issues are the responsibility of the UK Parliament, he said, and in absence of an agreement between the two governments the Scottish Parliament is therefore unable to legislate for a referendum.
He also rejected the Scottish Government's argument that any referendum would simply be "advisory" and would have no legal effect on the union, with people only being asked to give their opinion on whether or not Scotland should become an independent country.
Lord Reed said: "A lawfully-held referendum would have important political consequences relating to the union and the United Kingdom Parliament.
"Its outcome would possess the authority, in a constitution and political culture founded upon democracy, of a democratic expression of the view of the Scottish electorate.
"It is therefore clear that the proposed Bill has more than a loose or consequential connection with the reserved matters of the Union of Scotland and England, and the sovereignty of the United Kingdom Parliament."
Preferred option
The first minister told a media conference later that a referendum remained her preferred option, but in the absence of an agreement the SNP would use the next UK general election as a "de facto referendum" in an attempt to demonstrate that a majority of people in Scotland support independence.
The "precise detail" of how this would work will now be a matter for the party to debate, she said, with a special conference to be held in the new year.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said there was not a majority in Scotland for either a referendum or independence, but there was a "majority in Scotland and across the UK for change".