EDINBURGH — With most votes counted in Scotland’s historic independence referendum, results show those in favour of keeping the 307-year union with England are on the edge of victory.
With 29 of 32 regional electoral centres reporting, the No side had about 54 per cent of the vote to about 46 per cent for the Yes side.
Those against independence received a massive boost by strongly taking Edinburgh, the capital, and Aberdeen, the nation’s oil centre.
The average turnout was 86 per cent — 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.”