Scotland voted today in an epic independence referendum that could break up the centuries-old United Kingdom and create Europe's newest state since the collapse of Yugoslavia.
Queues snaked outside polling stations and voters -- some wearing traditional kilts and tartan hats -- spoke emotionally about the momentous choice they were faced with.
"I felt different today than in most of the previous votes. I might be making a difference and my vote counts," said 23-year-old Aidan Ford after casting his vote in Glasgow.
The campaign has fired up many Scots who have previously taken little interest in politics and has revolved around questions of national identity that are rarely discussed in Britain.
The question for voters at Scotland's more than 5,000 polling stations is "Should Scotland be an independent country?" and they are asked to mark either "Yes" or "No".
The result is expected early tomorrow.
Some 97 per cent of eligible Scots -- nearly 4.3 million people -- have registered to vote, underscoring the passions that the historic decision has ignited across the nation.
Election officials expect turnout as high as 80 per cent.
After months when it looked like the independence camp could not win, a surge in support in the final two weeks has left pollsters warning the outcome is too close to call.
One of Scotland's most famous sportsmen, tennis star Andy Murray, appeared to lend his support to separation in a last-minute tweet accusing the "No" campaign of negativity.
"Let's do this!" wrote Murray, who no longer lives in Scotland, echoing a slogan raised by pro-independence First Minister Alex Salmond in a final fiery campaign speech.
"We can take our future into our own hands," Salmond told AFP after casting the ballot he has spent a political lifetime campaigning for in the farming village of Strichen in northeast Scotland where he is the local lawmaker.
British Premier David Cameron has pleaded with Scots to vote in favour of keeping "our home" and has warned the break-up would be a "painful divorce" full of economic risks.
Many people in the rest of the UK are concerned about the prospect of Scottish independence, which would sever a deep bond and cut the UK's surface area by a third.
A "Yes" vote would not mean independence overnight but would trigger complex talks on how to separate two intertwined economies and eventually end a union dating back to 1707.
