Readers like you keep news free for everyone.
More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal.
For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can help keep paywalls away.
PA Wire/Press Association Images
# indyref
Date with destiny: Scotland awake as counting begins in independence vote
A result is expected at about 6.30am.
THERE WON’T BE many Scottish people nodding off tonight as counting gets underway in the country’s most historic referendum.
Packed ballot boxes from polling stations have been opened in 32 count centres, where counters will be busy overnight sorting the Yes votes from the No votes.
The latest YouGov poll, conducted with people who had voted today and those who had already cast their ballot in a postal vote, indicated a No victory (54% to 46%).
Indeed, some bookmakers have already started to pay out on Scotland remaining in the union.
However, politicians have been more cautious, with nobody conceding anything just yet.
The first counts are expected in at about 2am and a final result at breakfast time.
The count is a long one due to the unprecedented over 90% turnout, a record in the UK. About 97% of the electorate was registered to vote today. That is over 4.2 million people, including 16 and 17 year olds for the first time.
The engagement around the referendum has also been widely commented on, with Twitter saying today there were 1.5 million tweets with the hashtag #indyref sent out in the past two days.
‘Day of Destiny’: The UK newspapers on Scotland’s vote for independence
In honour of #indyref – here are some excellent Scottish insults, translated
