People in Scotland are voting on whether the country should stay in the UK or become an independent nation.

Voters will answer "Yes" or "No" to the referendum question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"

With 4,285,323 people - 97% of the electorate - registered to vote, it is expected to be the busiest day in Scottish electoral history.

Votes will be cast at 5,579 polling stations until 22:00 on Thursday. The result is expected on Friday morning.

Strict rules mean the BBC - in common with other broadcasters - is not allowed to report details of campaigning until after the polls close.

The bulk of local results are expected to come in between 03:00 and 06:00.

Because the polling stations are expected to be so busy, counting officers have put measures in place to reduce the risk of queuing.

The remote nature of some Scottish regions also means bad weather could delay the receipt of ballot boxes at counting centres, in turn delaying the national result.

Helicopters and boats are being used to transport ballot boxes to counts in areas such as Argyll and Bute.

Elections Scotland said recounts would only be allowed at a local level on the basis of concerns about process, not the closeness of a result.