THIS time next week, we will all know the outcome of the Scottish Independence Referendum.

By mid-morning, the results from across Scotland will have been collated and counted, giving one side victory over the other. It is also likely, given the evenly balanced nature of the opinion polls, that at least one half of the country won't like the outcome.

The independence referendum debate feels like it has gone on too long.

It was always likely that the result would be tight, and it seems that it will be.

For my part, I was willing to be persuaded to either side, and I listened very closely to the arguments.

Well over a year ago, I wrote in this column that, following the Darien disaster, Scotland should think very carefully about breaking a 300 year old Union, which it was largely responsible for creating.

I also reflected on the fact that for many, this would be a vote made with the heart, rather than the head.

Over the past 18 months, the fortunes of both the Yes and No campaigns have fluctuated, yet now are balanced on a knife edge.

There can be very few of the electorate who will vote next Thursday who are not now clear about their voting intentions.

For my part, I was very interested in the contents of the Scottish Government's White Paper, the so-called blueprint for independence.

For me, the White Paper did not make the business case for an independent Scotland.

Indeed there was very little financial evidence of any kind, in a document that left me badly disappointed.

I also find myself with a range of unanswered questions in relation to our economy, Nato, our currency, our future in Europe, and the advantages we would obtain, as an independent country, from having our economic levers of power retained by the Bank of England and a Westminster Parliament.

A sort of nearly, but not quite independence.

I would therefore consider myself to be among the rather silent majority of proud Scots who politely decline to have their politics defined by their patriotism.

The Union, which we sought over 300 years ago, has served us well. In my opinion, independence is not the desired path for Scotland at this time in its history.

It will be for each of us to take our own view on the case for or against independence. However, from me as a proud Scot and having looked at all the arguments it's, NO THANKS!

ONCE the dust has settled on the referendum, the next big thing in Scotland will be golf's 2014 Ryder Cup.

The event is being held at Gleneagles and it will dominate our screens for five days, starting on September 23.

The Ryder Cup began its journey in 1927, and was originally a matchplay competition between the UK and the United States.

In 1979, the format was changed and became Europe v the United States.

The last couple of Ryder Cups have become more and more boisterous on the part of both the players and the fans.

The event has now become synonymous with whooping and hollering, with high-fives and screaming celebrations at every put.

And that's just the players.

The Ryder Cup has therefore become somewhat more akin to the behaviour expected at football matches, than the very orderly demeanour of the game of golf.

Golf meeting football isn't a combination that works well.. it is almost as though the individual golfers, whose game is played alone and predominantly in the mind, are so elated by team spirit that they forget how to behave responsibly.

Fingers crossed that everyone involved can have an outstanding Ryder Cup, played in an atmosphere of tremendous excitement, but without the unnecessary displays of fanaticism and immaturity.

Gleneagles will be looking majestic - let's hope that the sport on display is in keeping with the surroundings.

WITH such fabulous weather in the last couple of days, I saw an interesting yet unremarkable sight as I did some shopping in Glasgow city centre.

Outside a city restaurant was a table of teenagers.There were six of them, and the table was curiously silent. This was because all six were gazing at their mobile phones.

Meeting up with friends so that you can spend silent time together talking to other people who aren't there via your phone... how cool, and how pointless.

APPLE has launched its new phone, the iPhone 6, which can be synchronised to an Apple watch.

The watch can perform a number of functions, including monitoring our health and our movements and acting as a remote control for devices around the home.

At first, such functions were the domain of the computer. The computer morphed into a tablet and the tablet into a phone.

It would appear that the phone is now morphing into a watch which will shortly, following the path of logic, morph into a small chip inserted under the skin which can perform all of these functions.

So, it may not be too long into the future before we witness a collection of teenagers at a restaurant table, unable to participate in the simple art of conversation, and reflect that they really do have a chip on their shoulders.