A grueling night for the defeated leader of the independence campaign Alex Salmond.

Looking drained, he said it was time to move on.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY LEADER, ALEX SALMOND, SAYING:

"For me right now, therefore, there is a decision as to who is best placed to lead this process forward. I believe that this is a new exciting situation that is redolent with possibility, but in that situation I think that party, parliament and country would benefit from new leadership. Therefore I have told the national secretary of the Scottish National Party that I shall not accept nomination for leader at the annual conference in Perth on the 13th-15th November.

"For me as, as leader my time is nearly over, but for Scotland the campaign continues and the dream shall never die."

Across the country, emotions were heightened and passions divided.

Scotland had spurned independence but here in Glasgow, where nationalists were in a majority divis