At a rally for independence, people wrote what they wanted to see from an independent Scotland and put in on a ‘wish tree’. Photos: David Officer, National Collective

Whatever the outcome of the Scottish independence referendum on 18 September one thing is certain: the campaign waged by Yes has electrified large swathes of public opinion and reinvigorated democratic debate. The formal Yes campaign, launched two years ago, has been the public face of the pro-independence case. But this has been eclipsed by a burgeoning mass movement of unprecedented scale and breadth.

Night after night, in public halls and housing schemes, communities and trade unions, debate has been joined in an open and democratic spirit of enquiry, charged with optimism that an alternative Scotland is possible. Even on rainy nights it has been common to find audiences of 50 to 200 turning up.

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