Reflections on the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence, eight years on

Pro-independence supporters consoling one another after the result of the 2014 referendum was announced

The 2014 referendum on Scottish independence will go down in history as a glowing testament to the virtues of the democratic process after it succeeded in capturing the imagination and participation of an entire nation.

The day after the referendum, which recorded a vote for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom by 55–45 percent…