Gordon Anderson, of Long Beach, changed his mind at least twice during the campaign, but Malua Bay’s Bill Rudd was never tempted into the yes camp.

Mr Rudd, who was born in Scotland in 1932 and has lived in Australia for 50 years, believes ambitious politicians were behind the current push for independence.

“Ambitious politicians who had not thought deeply enough about it, and those who voted for it would have been sheep,” he said.  

However, Mr Rudd believes the sentiment behind this independence push started a long time ago.

“In ancient times, a Scottish seer forecast that Scotland would become very rich,” he said.

“Two colours would be involved: amber and black. The amber is believed to be whisky, which was very successful, and coal was believed to be black, but when it dried up, and oil was discovered, it was thought to be oil.”

However, he believes the longevity of Scotland’s natural resources has been overestimated by those who voted yes.

“The coal ran out, and do they not consider the oil will too?” he said.

He likes the unity the United Kingdom and Commonwealth bring.

“I liked the Commonwealth Games because we had white, black, yellow and red all in one big happy family,” he said.

Mr Rudd said that he would never have supported the Yes vote at any stage of his life, but despite this, he’s as Scottish as they come.

“I’ve been playing the bagpipes since I was 10,” he said.

While not as firmly entrenched in the No camp as Mr Rudd, Scotland-born Long Beach resident Gordon Anderson says he would have voted in the negative as well.

“I looked at the statistics that, in the last 30 years, Scotland has paid more tax than the other countries in the kingdom, and that, as Britain is ruled from Westminster, England is a bit better looked after,” he said.

“There is also the contribution of the steelworks, the tourist industry and the North Sea oil, so for a while I thought I would have voted yes,” he said.

However, the son of a steelworker from Cambuslang changed his mind back to the No vote after talking with a friend in Paisley in Scotland, and reflecting on his own life.

“I lived in the UK all the time I was over there,” he said.

Mr Anderson left Scotland at 18 for London, where he served as a Bobby (policeman), and after eight years moved to Australia.

The Eurobodalla’s Clyde River was named for its Scottish cousin.

“From speaking to my friend, it seems older people all voted no and young people who wanted change voted yes,” he said. 

“It is not very practical to split up a country.”