Mark-of-Scotland
Marksman
Smoke and mirrors really. Most of the older generation wanted to remain in the UK as it's what they had known their entire lives plus the politicians in the better together campaign used fear tactics to manipulate them. The older folk rely on newspapers and TV to get their news and facts. All of the major newspapers are owned by a few groups and all had a vested interest in keeping the union. The politicians repeatedly told everyone that pensioners would be left penniless and homeless under an independent Scotland and the state broadcaster (BBC) made sure to hammer that message home as well as outright lies about the currency saying that Scotland would not keep the £ sterling. That decison isn't theirs to make as the £ sterling is an internationally tradable currency we can choose to use it if we wish. We could have used Yen, USD, AUD or rubles if we wanted to.
The split is generally down an age line but even within the younger generation there is a clear split along religious and political lines with most protestants being unionist/loyalists and most Catholics being Anti-union/Republican due to an ongoing issue with Northern Ireland. People just following the crowd really. It's a centuries old rivalry of bigotry and hatred and knowing these people I wouldn't put it past them to turn on their own country just to spite their enemies.
Scotland is considered a "region" of the UK like Yorkshire or Sussex so in that respect Scotland receives more in welfare than any other region but it needs to be remembered that Scotland is an entire country plus Islands not just a few square miles of lands like other regions.
Scotland has control over about 1% of it's entire generated revenue I think with the rest being controlled by Westminster and when it comes down to the simple figures we give much more to the UK than we receive. We're the only Oil producing nation in the world with over a third of it's population in abject poverty and that's because our finances are controlled by a people who despise us. Scotland, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar. That's all that's left of the British Empire, they have no intention of letting us go. Surely if Scotland was a drain on them they'd be happy to see us go? Maybe they'd miss all the oil, whisky and tourism money we pump into their economy to keep them afloat,who knows eh?
Smoke, mirrors and lies all peddled to generate fear and uncertainty in politically unaware voters. Before the pro union campaign settled on an official name of "Better Together" they referred to their agenda and activities as "operation fear". Tells you something doesn't it.
