I am absolutely shocked at the drivel being spouted by contributors to this forum whom I had assumed to be intelligent: members of our armed forces.
Tourist mentioned earlier on that Scotland contributes 9.5% of the UK Government's total revenues, from 8.5% of the UK's total population, and receives back 9.0% of total UK Government spending (these figures are the UK Governmenr's own - NOT Alex Salmond's). Who's subsidising who folks?. Another contributor claimed Scotland to be one of the UK's poorest areas: wrong, Scotland is second only to the SE of England in GDP. What I'm trying to say here is that an independant Scotland would be well able to pay its way in the world and independant estimates are that it would be the world's sixth richest country per head of population.
Who's oil is it? Yes, the "border" in the North Sea was drawn up by agreement between the Westminster and Scottish Governments and does place some fields questionably in English jurisdiction. However, the majority of current production is in Scottish waters, as are almost all of the new fields being opened up, which are west of Shetland (Shell's £4.5 billion investment announced last week).
By all means let us debate the pros and cons of Scottish independence, but let's do it with facts, not cheap innuendo and gross misinformation. I know that if I could turn the clock back a few years I'd be signing up for the Royal Scottish Air Force.(Yes, "Royal" as Scotland would continue to be a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth with the Queen as Head of State)