It's probably my lack of understanding of the issues but I have trouble identifying Scotland as a "Country".
This must be the first time I have really disagreed with you, Dave. I consider Scotland to be a country, as I also consider England and Ireland to be countries. The UK is a collection of countries as I see it.
PS I have heard several Yorkshire folk "drone on" about independence.
In the ealy 60's when my Pa was a Naval intelligence officer in Hong Kong he was visited by his US Navy opposite number. Studying the large pre WWI wall world map my dad had hanging on the wall behind his desk, his visitor said "Gee Benn, you need to get a noo map. Most of these countries don't exist any more - Bosnia, Herzgovina, Serbia......."
My Dad replied (with what turns out to have been remarkable prescience) "If you believe that those countries don't exist anymore, you really shouldn't be working in intelligence".
I agree that the different countries of the union are separate countries, whose individual identities are quite distinct. I also believe that the Union has been a remarkable success story and that we are better off together.
