THOSE who were paying attention during the interminable campaign leading up to the independence referendum last September will recall some specific fears expressed amid the claims and counter claims that insisted that inward investment to Scotland would dry up, not just in the event of independence, but as a result of simply daring to debate the very prospect.

The latest figures by accountants EY suggest otherwise. Far from bemoaning a flight of potential investment from Scotland, the figures indicate that Scotland's profile on the global stage remains high.

The consultants reckon it was Scotland's third-best year for inward investment on record, and the best ever from the United States. The total number of projects fell slightly to 80 from 82, but 2013 had been the best year for inward investment since 1997, so it was hardly the collapse predicted by the naysayers.

According to the EY Attractiveness Survey, Scotland secured more scientific research projects than at any time in the last decade, counter-intuitive from those who said the country's research base faced collapse because of the independence referendum. In addition, financial services bounced back with five new projects, the highest since 2006.

But the big winner was manufacturing, with supported projects more than doubling from 15 to 31, led by machinery and equipment projects. It was almost as if, with overseas help, Scotland was returning to its historic industrial roots, although in truth job numbers will never do so.

The EY survey showed that part of the cause may have been simply raised awareness. Scotland can be a hidden nation within the the UK nation state. That is not a nationalist or paranoid point, just a statement of fact, as anyone who has heard the UK described as England will know.

But last year the referendum debate put Scotland on the international stage in a way it has not been for decades and the Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup added to that heightened perception.

We cannot hold such high-profile sporting events every year, and our politics will slip in relative terms from international perception and profile, even with the passing interest in the SNP's General Election success.

So the country's Government and overseas representatives must prepare to work harder than ever to make Scotland visible, before they can even begin working harder to make it appear more attractive.

"Last year, thanks to the Commonwealth Games, Ryder Cup and referendum, Scotland was on the world stage as never before and this has resulted in a tangible economic benefit from foreign investment," said Finance Secretary John Swinney.

But what next? Paradoxically, Nicola Sturgeon's astounding success on the UK political stage may be part of the answer. An SNP profile at Westminster making a strong case that austerity is bad for economic growth will have Scotland noticed, but much more so will be the role of the SNP in promoting the European cause.

It means Scotland is not about to disappear from the international spotlight, which is good for inward investment.