Scotland to Remain Part of UK

Scottish first minister Alex Salmond's dream did not turn into reality as Scotland rejected the idea of breaking its 307-year-old marriage with England and Wales, according to reports  early Friday.

The result was a huge blow to Salmond's enthusiastic pro-independence campaign that forced the three main British parties to promise greater power to the Scottish Parliament out of panic, The New York Times reports.  

"Like thousands of others across the country I've put my heart and soul into this campaign and there is a real sense of disappointment that we've fallen narrowly short of securing a yes vote," Nicola Sturgeon, deputy leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party, told the BBC.

More than three quarters of Scotland's 32 local authorities have declared the results including key cities of Glasgow and Aberdeen, and only some are left like Edinburgh. Analysts have predicted 55 percent in favor of No vote opposed to 45 percent for Yes. Scotland's largest city - Glasgow - voted for independence by "better than 53 percent," USA Today reports. On the other hand, the oil city of Aberdeen voted against it 59-41 percent.

Around 4.2 million Scots were to cast ballots in Sept. 18's referendum; residents as young as 16 years were allowed to vote.

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said: "I've spoken to Alistair Darling - and congratulated him on a well-fought campaign," The Australian reports.

However, it is expected that the impact of the vote will lead to a major constitutional upheaval for the entire United Kingdom, The Financial Times reports.

Cameron is set to acknowledge Friday that Scots had made clear their desire to exercise more power.

This would in turn lead to a new constitutional settlement for the entire United Kingdom; English MPs would have more power over their own affairs and money and power will be transferred from Westminster to other big cities.

Arguments put forth by those for the union were that Scotland would be better off economically as well as militarily if it continued to remain a part of the United Kingdom, while those for the independence said that the traditionally left-inclined nation needed to break away from the conservative economic policies of the Parliament of London.