The First Minister admits he was heartbroken by the independence referendum result 10 years ago. Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter We have more newsletters Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter We have more newsletters Ten years ago today, you were voting for the country you wanted Scotland to become. Scotland’s future was in your hands.
All of us were engaged in a great national debate and our horizons had never been broader. Our families, workmates, school friends and neighbours were talking about our hopes and ambitions for the country we call home. In the biggest democratic exercise in Scotland’s history, 85 per cent of the country turned out to vote.
The Yes Scotland campaign was dynamic, empowering and optimistic. Community-led groups sprung up across the country and people who had not engaged with the political process before found themselves getting involved in campaigning. It inspired 1.
6 million Scots to vote Yes for an independent Scotland . But it wasn’t enough, and truthfully, I was heartbroken by the result. I remember seeing the ballot boxes being opened in my home patch of Perth and knowing that we were not going to win at that count.
But as the night wore on it became clear we were not going to make it across Scotland. In days after the referendum, I spoke to many leading figures in the No campaign as Parliament returned. They were gracious, and they were.