23 ARTICLE THE SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE REFERENDUM OF SEPTEMBER 2014: CONSTITUTIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ASPECTS By Alyson JK Bailes Author MA (Honours) in Modern History, University of Oxford, 1971 Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Political Science, University of Iceland and Visiting Professor, College of Europe, Bruges E-mail: alyson@hi.is Abstract On 18 September 2014, a referendum on whether Scotland should be an independent state produced a 55% ‘No’ vote. <...> Following upon a gradual increase in Scotland’s powers of self-government, the referendum process was a constitutional and peaceful one, based on agreement between the UK and Scottish Parliaments. <...> Had the result been ‘Yes’, a further negotiation would have taken place to determine the details of separation. <...> Scotland would have faced many tasks and complications in establishing its status on the international scene, for example in relation to NATO and the EU. <...> Despite the ’No’ vote, Scotland now expects to receive certain new delegated powers, and has some options for further enlarging its room for manoeuvre also on the foreign scene. <...> Keywords Scotland, devolution, independence, referendum, small state studies Introduction The referendum held on 18 September 2014 among residents in Scotland, asking ‘Should Scotland be an independent country?’, attracted a high degree of international attention. <...> It was of interest because it Volume 1 September 2014 Issue 1 www.kulawr.ru 24 KUTAFIN UNIVERSITY LAW REVIEW represented a peaceful, consensual and law-based method of deciding whether to separate the components of an existing nation-state. <...> Key issues included Scotland’s proposed non-nuclear status, its wish to be a NATO member and its wish to remain in or re-accede to the EU. <...> It will focus fi rst on the historical and constitutional background to the referendum and the details of the referendum process itself. <...> Thirdly it considers how Scotland’s ‘devolved’ powers (that is, powers of self-government delegated from the United Kingdom authorities) and its international activities may develop in the near future. <...> Historical Background The creation of a united Scottish state is traditionally credited to Kenneth MacAlpin in the 9th century. <...> Despite a shifting border and frequent wars with England, Scotland remained an independent kingdom up to 1603, when Queen Elizabeth I of England <...>