A THIRD prominent Highland Liberal Democrat voting yes in the independence referendum is not a major blow to the party, but the result will be close, according to former leader Charles Kennedy.

Mr Kennedy is in the Highlands campaigning for Better Together but was philosophical about the news that Skye councillor and personal friend Drew Millar, was voting yes.

Mr Millar follows in the footsteps of another long-time Kennedy friend, Dr Michel Foxley, former Lib Dem leader of the Highland Council and Alan MacRae, who stood in the Skye, Lochaber & Badenoch constituency at the 2011 Holyrood elections.

But Mr Kennedy said he had always taken the view constitutional issues like those surrounding voting systems, were different.

He said: "They cut across normal party boundaries and that is quite understandable. Although I find myself on opposite sides on the decision from Drew on this one, it in no way diminishes my friendship or respect for him as a councillor."

Mr Kennedy said he had found a lot of people still weighing up the arguments, and wasn't surprised by the spike in the polls for yes.

He said he did a This Week programme on the BBC with Andrew Neil just before the Westminster summer recess.

Mr Kennedy said: "I said then I thought it was going to be tight on the night, although at that point Better Together was 10-20 points ahead in the opinion polls.

"I have always thought in the final four weeks it would become like a general election."