Although far less evenly balanced than the wider division of Scottish society into Yes and No camps, the business debate over independence spawned passionate supporters on both sides.

The much smaller pro-independence business lobby could boast a number of highly successful - even inspirational - business figures, including Stagecoach entrepreneur Brian Souter, Clyde Blowers' Jim McColl, fund manager Angus Tulloch, commercial property magnate Dan Macdonald and Tony Banks of Balhousie Care Homes.

For Macdonald, who founded the pro-independence think tank N56, the chief task in the aftermath of the campaign is to foster better relations between business and society.

"It's critically important that we form a collaborative culture that mediates between business and the rest of society, and between communities and governments," he said.

"The priority is to demolish the separate silos and get together in the same way that we did when I founded the [intra-industry] Scottish Property Federation.

"One of things that attracted me to a new constitution in an independent Scotland is that, in smaller countries, businesses find it easier to work in a collaborative way, but irrespective of the result of the referendum, I'd be very keen to develop that culture."

Macdonald continued: "I'm as keen as everyone else who's been involved in the referendum that society comes together again and they don't become polarised and there aren't lingering divisions. Business has to be there to contribute and to do our upmost to avoid that."