There was a party atmosphere last night for many Scots, such as those seen here during the last hour of voting in George Square, Glasgow.
The leader of the Better Together campaign, Alistair Darling, gave a rallying speech in Glasgow.
It was a long night for counting staff.
As the counting proceeded through the night, many stayed up in anticipation.
Excited Scots partied in George Square, Glasgow.
The world awaited the results, including Scots based in Hong Kong.
Deputy first minister Nicola Sturgeon was among those keenly observing the results.
This Glaswegian woman fortified herself with a bottle of Irn-Bru.
As the results trickled in through the night, there was much to celebrate for No campaigners.
No supporters in Glasgow.
Some wept with relief.
It was a different story for Yes supporters.
A Yes campaign supporter in the Scottish referendum walks through George Square in Glasgow (left), and a Yes supporter reacts to results outside the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh (right).
No supporters take a nap whilst waiting for results in Glasgow (left), and Yes campaigners take in the news of their defeat in Glasgow (right).
Many dejected supporters of independence consoled each other.
A No campaigner is apparently taunted by a group of Yes campaigners in Glasgow (left), and a gloomy Yes voter digests an early No win in Clackmannanshire (right).
Scottish Yes campaigners gather in George Square.
Meanwhile, Sky News' Kay Burley took a break during a hard night of reporting.
A bleary-eyed David Cameron looked relieved on Friday morning when speaking in front of Downing Street.
Eyes cast down, first minister Alex Salmond delivered a speech to supporters in Edinburgh in which he acknowledged the result.
And a lone figure waved the Scottish and UK flags over the skyline of Glasgow as the city woke up to the country's 55% vote to stay in the 307-year-old union.
