With most votes in, Scots deciding to stay
EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP)
With most votes counted in Scotland’s historic independence referendum, results show those in favor of keeping the 307-year union with England are on the edge of victory.
With 29 of 32 regional electoral centers reporting, the No side had about 54 percent of the vote to about 46 percent for the Yes side. Those against independence received a massive boost by strongly taking Edinburgh, the capital, and Aberdeen, the nation’s oil center.
The average turnout was 86 percent — a record high for any Scottish election.
The Yes camp appeared resigned to defeat. Saying she was “personally bitterly disappointed” with the results, Deputy Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon told BBC that Scottish nationalists “need to pick ourselves up and move on.”