The defence and security policy outlined in the Scottish Government's White Paper is decidedly cautious, one might say dull.

It deliberately eschews some of the more dramatic plans and ideas put forth at different times in the campaign, in what might be a deliberate attempt to assure the rest of the UK and Nato members that an independent Scotland would not represent a problem to European security.

The most interesting clarification has to do with the withdrawal of nuclear weapons from Scotland. The only mention of an eventual date for the withdrawal is the end of an independent Scotland's first parliament, which could be 2020, or six years after the referendum is held.

Even this is not put forward as a hard and fast deadline, but instead is spoken of as an expectation. In other words, the rest of the UK will be given time to decide how, or indeed whether, it will continue on as a nuclear power.

The other interesting element is that the Scottish defence force would start out relatively small, only reaching its expected size 10 years after independence.

In the first year of independence the entire armed forces of Scotland would number only 7500 and a few thousand reservists (the size by 2026 is expected to double this).

The equipment for this force will also be quite modest to start, all taken from pre-existing equipment in the British armed forces (highlighted by two Type 23 frigates and 12 Typhoon fast jets).

The Scottish Government is aiming at first for quite a small, and therefore less costly set of armed services which can fit within its £2.5 billion security budget target.

l Phillips O'Brien, is Reader in History at Glasgow University's School of Humanities.