Mindful of history and a tight race, Scots vote en masse

EDINBURGH, Scotland – Scottish voters queued up from before dawn to cast their votes for or against independence on Thursday, September 18, running the gauntlet of leaflet-wielding activists making one last push to influence a knife-edge vote.

After a heated campaign that has pitched husband against wife, parents against children, and friends against friends, millions of Scots were taking their constitutional duty seriously by turning out to vote en masse.

With many still undecided, however, volunteers sporting badges, stickers and ties in campaign colors were on the street trying to sway the vote – with one nationalist even spouting fire out of the top of his bagpipes.

Many voters spoke of their delight at the level of interest that has seen 97% of those eligible to vote register and caused officials to predict a record 80% turnout.

“I felt different today than most of the previous votes. I might be making a difference and my vote counts,” said 23-year-old Aidan Ford after voting in Glasgow city center.

Others breathed a sigh of relief after a long campaign that has been marked by its energy but also sometimes bitter exchanges between rival camps.

“The damage this referendum has done to Scotland, splitting families, splitting communities, is really quite frightening,” said Alistair Eastern, a tired-looking 60-year-old pensioner, after voting in Edinburgh.

“I think the bitterness that this campaign has caused is going to last a long, long time.”

First Minister Alex Salmond, the man hoping to make history by leading Scotland to independence, cast his vote in his home village after being greeted by flag-waving schoolchildren. (READ: Scotland will make history, says pro-independence leader)

“It’s an extraordinary moment. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Salmond told Agence France-Presse in the village of Strichen in Aberdeenshire, a farming region in northeast Scotland.

‘Decision which lasts forever’ 

The last official campaign events took place on Wednesday, but everywhere there were small demonstrations of support for either the blue and white “Yes” campaign for independence or red and yellow “No” effort for the UK.

A small crowd marched through a suburb of Edinburgh holding aloft Scotland‘s saltire flag and pro-independence banners, led by the unusual sight of a kilted piper with flames coming out of his bagpipes.

On a mist-covered grass bank beneath Edinburgh Castle, a washing line of white laundry painted with blue letters urged people to “Vote with clean pants!”, with the clear message “Aye” marked on a pair of briefs.

“Families have been divided but it has also been a wonderful democratic process where today possibly 97% of those eligible to vote are going to be turning up to vote,” said David Cruckshank, a 40-year-old lawyer in Edinburgh.

“Whatever the result, both sides have to accept it,” he said.

Charlotte Farish, 34, arrived at her local polling station in the capital before it opened so she could vote before taking her two children to school and going on to work.

“It’s an important day. This is a decision which lasts forever, which will impact my children,” she said.

In Glasgow, one man had dressed his dog in a special “Yes” neckscarf, while a homeowner braved injury to mark out “Y-E-S” in tiles on the roof of their house.

Under the shadow of a statue of Queen Victoria covered with a Scottish flag, 64-year-old James Hawkin was reading a paper after casting his vote. “I think the result will be tight,” he remarked.

The outcome is being watched closely by many people around the world, not least in Spain, where the region of Catalonia is pushing for its own referendum on independence. (READ: Catalans and Scots: Same dreams, different histories)

Spaniards living in Scotland were eligible to vote on Thursday, although some decided to stay out of the debate.

“I find it outrageous that people living here just four months can vote on such an important topic. I don’t feel sufficiently informed,” said Miguel Gonzalez, 32. – Rappler.com