Independence of Mind before Independence of Nation
As an Englishman living in Scotland, I am of course in a very funny place. Part of me believes that England, Scotland, Wales and a United Ireland would be best for the British Isles.
I also believe that having a unified place to do political business on issues that shape the entirety of Great Britain makes sense.
So Scottish independence makes a lot of sense to me, and yet so does the Union. It's a conflict that tugs at the head and the heart.
Personally, in a way, I believe that there should be a federated union that gives the regions of England a great say in their own affairs, whilst keeping the higher level stuff (e.g. Defence) unified.
However, if Scotland is ever going to be an independent nation, it needs to form an Independence of Mind before becoming an independent nation.
Why is this?
Well, to become an independent nation means looking and sounding like one, plus also building the social and civic mindsets of an independent nation.
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Scotland is I would say 80% there. The last components to fall in place may take a generation, at that is the slow but purposeful marginalisation of what happens in Westminster on Scotland. That only happens by continually building out the social and civic capital until one day, the nation looks and feels independent before the political reality of a referendum has become a foregone conclusion.