The news, video and comment as Scotland votes in an independence referendum - Telegraph.co.uk

"Critics may find it intimidating. But they are very upbeat and celebratory," says Deacon.

10.30 The future of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, is up in the air, local historians claim, because of a medieval treaty which reveals it may be owned by Scotland.

Doncaster was signed over to Scotland more than 900 years ago as part of the Treaty of Durham, after King David successfully stormed large areas of northern England.

It remained in Scottish hands for 21 years until Henry II appeared to reclaim the town under English rule in 1157 - but it was never formally given back.

Until now, the claim to the land has been overlooked by Scots. Ed Miliband is the MP for Doncaster North.

Dr Charles Kelham, a local historian, said: "David had invaded England in support of his niece, the Empress Matilda, the widow of a Roman Emperor whose claim to the throne of England seemed to have rather more justification than Stephen’s.

"Stephen bought David off at the meeting in Durham by offering him a selection of additional estates, one of which was the manor and soke of Doncaster.”

10.20 Andy Murray has been subject to vile online abuse after declaring for the Yes campaign. One Twitter user says he wishes he had been "killed at Dunblane". Murray was a pupil at the school and present when a gunman killed 17 children and teachers in 1996.

10.10 The polls have been open three hours - and Cameron's rebellion widens.

James Gray, the MP for North Wiltshire and former shadow Scottish secretary, has condemned Cameron' s devo max proposals as "feeding an addiction" that will reignite calls for independence.

"I do NOT agree with the ‘Devo Max’ proposals which the three party leaders seem to be offering. Talk about feeding an addiction.

"The more you give them, the more they want, and we would be back with calls for independence within a decade or sooner.

"But if it is deemed that these foolish proposals have to be taken forward because of the strength of feeling demonstrated in the campaign and in the results of the referendum, then I will go along with it only if the imbalance between England and Scotland is at the same time corrected.

"The West Lothian question, the English Question lies unanswered on the table, and as an MP for an English constituency (albeit personally a Scot by background), I will demand that it must now be addressed.

"For too long, Scottish MPs have voted on English matters. That must be ended. Scotland would be massively over-represented at Westminster. Their MPs must be culled appropriately. And the Barnett Formula, under which every Scottish citizen gets £1500 per year more spent on him/her than their English counterpart must be swept away with no delay. We want greater powers for the long-suffering people of England. As G.K. Chesterton said “Smile at us, pass us; but do not quite forget; For we are the people of England, that never have spoken yet.”

"The Scots have had their say. At the time of writing I have no idea what the outcome will be. But of one thing I am sure. For too long the rights and interests of the 55 million people of England have been subordinated to the shouting of 4.5 million Scots. That must end. Now is the time for the people of England to speak - and to be heeded."

Read more on his website.

10.00 From Telegraph blogs:

Robert Colvile identifies the five winners and losers from the Scottish campaign.

and Robert Ford, the academic, explains the night ahead

09.45 'Vote Yes or else'

Jackie Baillie, the MSP for Dunbarton, has tweeted an image of the Jamestown Parish Church Lennox Hall which is today a polling station. The graffiti reads 'Vote Yes or Else'.

"Shocking behaviour from yes campaigners. Should not be trying to threaten and intimidate," says Baillie.

(Another message is partially obscured - it could be 'F--- London rule!' but it is not quite clear.)

09.30 What turnout would be a record turnout? Pollsters reckon around 80-85 per cent of Scots could turn out - far higher than recent British general elections. This graphic from the University of Reading is instructive.

09.10 BREAKING: The rebellion brewing in Tory ranks over further giveaways to Scotland has reached ministerial level.

Claire Perry, the newly promoted rail minister, has told the Wiltshire Gazette and Herald that Scotland must receive "no financial party bags".

Tory backbenchers are incensed that the PM has committed to protect the Barnett Formula - which sees Scots given an extra £1000 a year in public spending compared to English voters - if Scotland rejects No. They struggle to see how that can be reconciled with Scotland getting greater fiscal autonomy. One female Tory told the Telegraph Mr Cameron can expect a "bloodbath" tomorrow morning - comments seized by the Yes campaign.

“Cool, calm analysis, not promises of financial party bags to appease Mr Salmond, are what is needed from tomorrow and onwards,” Ms Perry writes.

“I am expecting Parliament to be recalled next week to understand the result and any proposed settlement.”

She tells the paper she fears a No vote will result in “a whole raft of goodies on offer for Scotland that will be paid for by us south of the border to try and appease the Yes voters.

“If there is a proposal to allow devolution of local taxation, as well as maintaining the current level of funding as a dollop from the UK Parliament, then that can hardly be equitable for those of us I the Devizes constituency and all other area areas in the non-Scottish union.”

There are some Government figures who hope the result will be a narrow win for No. A comfortable win for the union makes its far harder for the PM to justify the last-minute giveaways to restive backbenchers.

09.00 Judith Woods meets voters in Edinburgh this morning.

"I am 86 years of age, so I won't be alive for much longer, but I am here because I am desperately worried that Alex Salmond's dirty tricks campaign may have worked," said Henry Philip, who was erecting an A board emblazoned with No Thanks outside the polling station.

"I've voted "no" by post, but every single vote counts today," said the retired head teacher. "There are nationalist thugs in the Yes campaign who have been unleashed and I see a real parallel with Germany in the 20s and 30s."

The first person to vote was Monim Javed, a 22-year-old accountancy student from Pakistan, who has lived in Scotland for the past five years.

"I voted yes," he said, as he left the polling station at Braidwood Centre in Dumbiedykes.

"Most people I've talked to are voting no, but I think 'why not?'. Every country should be given a chance to be independent."

Catriona Fegan, 31, a sound engineer, was less sanguine,

"My hand was shaking so much inside the polling booth I could barely put a cross on the paper," she admitted. "This is a huge decision we are making."

She declined to say which way she had voted.

08.30 Alan Cumming, the actor who divides time between NY and Scotland, has written a pro-independence piece in NYT, saying that after 16 years of devolution Scotland doesn't need its "trainer wheels" any more.

"Distilled, the essence of the choice is this: The Yes campaign is about hope for a fairer, more caring and prosperous society; the No campaign says only: better the devil you know. I am an optimist."

08.22 People heading to polling stations to cast their vote in the independence referendum have been warned they could face intimidation by nationalist supporters (writes Peter Dominiczak).

Pro-independence campaigners have sent out posters urging nationalists to “be Bravehearts” and join marches to local polling booths.

It comes amid fears of voter fraud and intimidation overshadowing the referendum.

Police Scotland was last night investigating allegations that a counting officer had disclosed details of how postal votes had been cast in Edinburgh.

Yes campaigners have organised a series of “short walk to freedom" marches on polling day.

Opponents have warned that the events could be used to intimidate No voters casting their votes in polling stations across Scotland.

Kezia Dugdale, Labour MSP for Lothians, where the posters appeared, told The Telegraph the adverts were "offensive" and organisers should "rethink" the plans.

Many pubs plan to open all night. In Glasgow last night, police lines separated heated Yes and No supporters. One side sang Flower of Scotland; the other the national anthem.

What evidence is there that the debate corresponds to the the existing and pervasive divides between Celtic and Rangers fans in Glasgow? This, of course, reflects historic divides between Irish immigrant workers and native protestant Scots from the 19th century; as well as a series of more complex disputes - Northern Ireland, political ideology, national identity.

It's a mixed picture. Many of those protesting for No at George Square last night wore Rangers shirts; Better Together posters have been waved at Ibrox alongside the Union Jack; while the Green Bridge, the Celtic Ultras and keepers of the Irish republican flame, have swung firmly behind Yes.

The truth is inevitably more mixed, however: one Panelbase survey found fans in both Old Firm teams split, with an edge towards Yes; while John Reid, the former Labour minister and Better Together campaigner, is a former Celtic chairman. Jim Murphy is a Celtic season ticket holder. And, it's worth adding, many in the city find the bitterness of the rivalry, and its sectarian streaks, a source for quiet embarrassment.

08.10 This morning's front pages

Note how two of the most popular papers - The Scottish Sun and the Daily Record - have refused to come out for one side or the other. It is potentially significant; the Yes campaign has worked hard to mobilise thousands of disaffected working-class people who have not voted in years.

Rupert Murdoch, the Sun proprietor, has taken a keen interest in the vote, and spent a few days over the weekend visiting bars and talking to voters. "Scottish poll reflects world-wide disillusion with political leaders and old establishments leaving openings for libertarians and far left," he mused on Twitter.

08.00 A note on reporting restrictions. Under electoral law, it is an offence to report anything that suggests that the vote is going one way or the other while the polls are open. (That does not preclude reporting exit polls taken before polls open.) This is to prevent people discouraging or encouraging one side to turn out unfairly. Broadcasters and websites will not, therefore, say they have seen lots of support outside polling stations for one side or the other.

The law applies to social media too. How many campaigners heed it is an open question.

07.45 Nicola Sturgeon, the Deputy First Minister, has voted in Glasgow with her husband.

07.30 Overnight, Andy Murray appeared to declare for Yes after years of attempting to dodge questions over his preference.

Having refused to be drawn on the subject in the past, Murray seemed to tweet his support for the Yes campaign to his 2.7 million followers.

The 27-year-old Wimbledon champion - one of Scotland’s highest profile nationals - nailed his colours to the mast just hours before polls opened, writing: “Huge day for Scotland today! no campaign negativity last few days totally swayed my view on it. excited to see the outcome. lets do this!”

Murray, who grew up in Dunblane, Stirling, has previously expressed his admiration for staunch No supporter Gordon Brown, however on Thursday suggested he had been put off by the No camp’s recent campaign tactics.

Murray has been quizzed on the issue previously but dodged the question, although in an interview in June he criticised Alex Salmond, the Scottish First Minister, for waving the country's flag at the tournament last year.

When pressed on the issue of independence in an interview after his Wimbledon victory, he said: “You don't want to come to a snap decision and then see the country go t*** up.

“I am proud to be Scottish, but I am also proud to be British. I don't think there is any contradiction in that.”

Meanwhile, last night Barack Obama reiterated his backing for no.

"The UK is an extraordinary partner for America and a force for good in an unstable world. I hope it remains strong, robust and united," the President wrote on the White House's official Twitter account.

07.20 The timings for tonight are expected to be as follows:

Some 32 areas will declare results. The winner will be the total of the overall vote.

The first results are expected from 1.30am. The first may be Western Isles or North Lanarkshire, one of the most populous areas.

Stirling, one of the key battlegrounds, should declare around 2am. We could see early claims of expected victory from whichever side wins here.

The first seven councils – around 15 per cent of the registered electorates votes, are expected to be declared around 2am.

By 3am eleven council areas, representing nearly a third of the registered electorate, are expected to declare their results.

4am South Lanarkshire is expected to declare. It has high numbers of Tory voters.

4am Dundee expected. It is a Yes stronghold, and Salmond will be hoping to win the city by a landslide.

5am: We expect the results from Glasgow and Edinburgh, followed by Aberdeen around 6am. Between them the three cities have a quarter of the electorate.

A final result is expected between 6.30 - 7.30 - in time for breakfast.

A recount can be demanded in any of the 32 centres. However, once the final total is declared no recount can be requested.

07.10 Alex Salmond led an eve-of-poll rally in Perth last night - where the BBC's Nick Robinson was repeatedly booed. Simon Johnson reports.

Alex Salmond praised nationalist activists as the “greatest campaigners” in Scottish history at an eve-of-referendum rally last night after they repeatedly booed and jeered the BBC’s political editor.

The First Minister said he was speaking on the “eve of the most exciting day in Scottish history” and repeatedly attacked Westminster, claiming the UK parties only agreed to the referendum because “they thought they had it in the bag”.

Nicola Sturgeon, his deputy, told the 1,200 separatists that the latest Ipsos Mori opinion poll showed support for Yes on 49 per cent and they had 900 minutes on Thursday to increase that to 50 per cent.

A separate YouGov opinion published by the Sun and Times showed support for independence at 48 per cent, with 52 per cent opposition, while a Survation survey for the Daily Record put the contest at 47 per cent and 53 per cent respectively.

But the mood of the rally at Perth Concert Hall turned ugly before the keynote speeches after Nick Robinson, the BBC’s political editor, briefly appeared on a balcony above the nationalist horde.

07.00 Good morning. Polls have opened. Today Scotland votes. The question: 'Should Scotland be an independent country?' Polling ends at 10pm. We should have an answer within 24 hours.

Campaign teams have been up through the night delivering leaflets and drawing up final lists of canvassed voters.

Today's timings:

8am Alistair Carmichael casts vote, Orkney

9am Alex Salmond casts vote, Aberdeenshire

11am Willie Rennie, Scottish Lib Dem leader, casts vote, Kelty Bridge

11am Patrick Harvie, Scottish Greens co-convener, casts vote, Glasgow

Noon Danny Alexander casts vote, Muirton. Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling are expected to vote around midday.

8pm Candle-lit vigil ahead of referendum result. Vigil organised by Hands Across the Border campaign.

(Gretna Green)

10pm Polls close. Count begins. No exit polls are expected.