YES supporters gathered in Glasgow's George Square last night to protest against Scotland being dragged out of Europe against its will, but elsewhere in the city the mood was mixed.
Opinions ran the gamut from utterly distraught to overjoyed, as Europhiles, Europhobes and those in between all struggled to make sense of the news.
Chris Harkness, a 23 year-old supermarket assistant said: “I feel pretty bad, and pretty surprised by it too, I didn’t think it was going to go through.”
His friend Laura Hopkins, 21, was also very disappointed and was “completely against the result”. “Terrified is the right word," she said. "I think there’s a very big fear in the country right now about what’s going to happen."
But there were a few Leaves to be found too, like 42 year-old bus driver Brendan Flood.
He voted to leave firstly because of immigration but also to “get control back” from Brussels. He said: “I don’t agree with the amount of money that we’re putting in and we don’t see anything coming out.
“It’s our country and we’re losing our identity, everything we’re losing touch,” he added.
Flood also voted Yes in 2014, and now sees Scotland becoming independent in the near future, and from where he’s standing, the future looks promising. “I see more jobs, I see our economy getting stronger,” he added.
Actor Marcus Nash, 22, also voted Leave, with immigration the main issue on his mind.
He said: “I think there’s a lot of work to do, it’s going to take time andThe speculation you’re hearing right now about what’s going to happen, what’s not going to happen is just rumours, because no-one can prove anything – it’s a work in progress.”
Delivery driver Steven Bell, 58, woke up feeling “quite pleased” by the result, and immigration guided his decision.
The same was true of 76-year-old Tom Brown, who felt “quite happy” about the news, and echoed fears of rising immigration.
“I think immigration is a big thing because they come over, they’re quite nice and friendly and then they turn into gangs and in some areas you’re feared to go to now.
“You see the immigrants coming, crowds and crowds of well-dressed middle-aged men, where’s all the kids and women?”
But English student Harriet Jenkins, 22, fears what will happen now, especially with the value of the pound falling.
“I feel very disappointed, really annoyed, I just feel like they’re making a mistake,” she said.
“We’re not going to have the freedom that we have now as EU citizens. In the future are we going to be able to travel, live and spend our time in the rest of Europe without getting visas?
“I hope Scotland tries again for independence and I hope they get it this time."
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