Yahoo Finance Scottish Islanders Divided On Splitting From UK
The Orkney Islands are one of Scotland's most prosperous regions. Unemployment here is much lower than in the rest of Scotland and the quality of life - with house prices lower than mainland Scotland - is good.
Orkney has more young people, per head of population, than Scotland as a whole. Its children do better in school, on average, than most Scots and its people are also healthier, on average, than most Scots.
Yet, in common with the rest of Scotland, Orkney's people are divided over whether it should become an independent country - nowhere more so than among the ranks of its fishermen, a sector less important to the Orkadian economy than was once the case, but still one that defines the islands and their rugged character.
Neil Mathheson, a scallop fisherman and a strong supporter of the Yes campaign, has no doubt fishing will do better in an independent Scotland.
He said: "With independence, everything will be closer to the people. These would be our issues.
"The last UK fisheries minister couldn't tell you the difference between a haddock and a whiting, or a haddock and anything. I do believe an independent Scotland should have a dedicated fisheries minister that deals with the fisheries.
"If there is a mess, it will be our mess, not one we can blame on somebody else. We are not much better off than Greece at the moment."
His colleague Sean Dennison, a crab fisherman, agreed. He said: "We all have to make decisions every day of our lives.
"If you are closer to the people that are putting forward [legislation] then I think we are as well-placed... through Holyrood as Westminster.
"You're closer to everything you do on the sea, entitlements for catching fish, whatever."
But that is not everyone's opinion.
Robert Smith, a lobster fisherman, is firmly in the No camp.
He said: "Scottish politicians are anti the fishing industry."
He warned that a Yes vote for independence will not leave it there, suggesting that it would be quickly followed by demands for independence from the neighbouring Shetland Islands, where an "Our Islands, Our Future" movement is already gaining ground.
Between them all sits John Welles, a prawn fisherman, who has yet to make up his mind.
He said: "We haven't been given enough information. If we say yes and it all goes wrong, where do we go from there?
"We are ok at the moment, I'm not saying it's great, but we are ok. If we vote yes and it goes bad, where do we stand then?"
And this is very much the point that appears to be on the minds of the "Don't Knows" - this is a decision, once made, that cannot be reversed.
How will the quartet explain the way they have voted to their children and grandchildren and especially if an independent Scotland struggles?
Mr Mathheson said: "How do I explain to my grandchildren if Boris Johnson or Nigel Farage was Prime Minister?
"That would really worry me, far more than Alex Salmond or Nicola Sturgeon, or any Liberal Democrat [the Orkneys are a traditional Liberal stronghold].
"Even (Taiwan OTC: 6436.TWO - news) that nice Tory lady [Annabel Goldie] that used to be there, she'd be better than them, at least she was what it said on the packet. I'd be more embarrassed about Boris or Nigel."
