TODAY, the world's media will descend on the Royal Highland Centre at Ingliston near Edinburgh - the referendum's count collation centre - to report on the climax of a democratic drama that has galvanised the globe.
As many as 500 journalists from more than 200 news organisations are expected at the media centre with their pens, microphones, cameras and satellite dishes from midday through to breakfast time tomorrow when the moment of truth will finally arrive.
The count will be made up of results from 32 local authority areas. Following the close at 10pm of the 5,579 polling stations, the counting will begin across Scotland by the 12,000-plus polling station staff.
Given the number of registered voters is a record high, some 4.2 million, representing 97 per cent of the eligible electorate, then their fingers are set to be busy into the small hours.
Helicopters will be used to fly ballot boxes from islands in Argyll and Bute - where one-third of the population live in settlements of fewer than 1,000 people - to the counting centre at Lochgilphead. Several other areas will rely on boats to transport ballot boxes to the counting centres.
Bad weather is not forecast to delay the receipt of ballot boxes tonight.
Before any local announcement or declarations are made, local counting officers will be required to share the voting information, including verification sheets, with campaigners and observers at the counts to ensure there are no concerns regarding the process.
If agents or observers have concerns regarding the conduct or accuracy of a count, these must be reported to the local counting officer, who could consider a recount. The authorities have stressed that not only are all votes counted locally but any concerns about the integrity of a count must be resolved locally too.
Unlike a normal election, the closeness of the count will not be a reason to order a recount.
The 2013 Scottish Independence Referendum Act makes clear counting officers cannot recount the votes once a result has been declared.
Once a local declaration has been made, counting officers must seal all the ballot papers and other related materials. They cannot open sealed papers; except on the orders of the Court of Session or a sheriff principal.
It has been made clear that it would be impractical for votes to be recounted at a local count after a declaration has been made because of the subsequent concerns about a close national result. Indeed, there is no provision in law for a national recount.
The first results should start coming through from 2am with most pouring in between 3am and 6am.
They will be announced locally, verified, and then announced at the central counting centre at Ingliston.
A large screen will record the results as they come through and, Eurovision-style, will show which side is ahead of the other.
The expectation is that the final result will be known at "breakfast time" Friday, regarded as any time between 6.30am and 7.30am.
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