Scotland claims on national treasure fuel independence row

Debt, North Sea oil and the pound sterling are just some of the economic issues pitting Edinburgh against London ahead of Scotland's independence referendum in one month's time. First Minister Alex Salmond, the nationalist leader, insists Scotland must receive a favourable share of common goods in the event of a divorce, providing a base for the country to build a prosperous future on its own terms.
But the leaders of Britain's three main parties - the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats - have all warned that an independent Scotland would face economic hardship.
They have promised fresh powers for Scots if they vote to stay in the 307-year-long union.
The economy of an independent Scotland - similar size to that of Finland, Greece or Ireland - would be large enough to survive on its own.
However, the links with the rest of the United Kingdom are so strong that any breakaway is bound to involve some pain as the parliaments in London and Edinburgh thrash out the terms.
"There could be a long period of negotiations between the governments of Westminster and Holyrood on important issues, such as the sharing of public debt, regulation of Scottish banks and the currency question," said Jack Allen, from research company Capital Economics.
Given that, on the nationalists' timetable, Scotland would not become fully independent until March 24, 2016, a Yes vote would set the stage for a lengthy battle, with a fierce row over a future currency having already raged for many months.
Salmond and his Scottish National Party (SNP) want a monetary union between Scotland and what would remain of the United Kingdom (England, Wales and Northern Ireland), under the supervision of the Bank of England (BoE) in a role similar to that of the European Central Bank in the eurozone.
But this plan has been categorically rejected by Westminster's three main parties and by Alistair Darling, Britain's former Labour finance minister who now heads the Better Together campaign to keep Scotland in the UK.
This seemingly technical issue dominated the first televised debate between Salmond and Darling, who repeatedly accused his pro-independence rival of having no "plan B" if his currency union plan was indeed rejected by London. The currency conundrum has also poisoned the debate on what happens to Britain's sovereign debt - which is guaranteed by London - in the event of a break-up.