YES Scotland has welcomed a new poll showing the gap between the two campaigns is narrowing.
The Panelbase survey, for the pro-independence Newsnet website, put support for a Yes vote at 40%, five points behind backing for No on 45%, with 15% undecided.
It came as US-based actor and pro-independence campaigner Brian Cox urged Americans to get behind a Yes vote.
In an outspoken interview with a New York web magazine he complained that Scots had a "sense of inferiority" as a result of being part of the UK.
The gap recorded in today's poll was narrower than the previous Panelbase poll in February, which was commissioned by the SNP.
It put support for Yes on 37%, for No on 47%, and showed 16% of people had yet to make up their minds.
Blair Jenkins, the chief executive of the pro-independence Yes Scotland campaign, said: "This is an extremely encouraging poll - putting Yes support at its highest level and No at its lowest since last summer.
"It continues the trend we have seen this year of a steady and significant narrowing of the gap.
"The scaremongering of the No campaign is backfiring, because people understand that as the 14th wealthiest country in the international league table - compared to the UK's 18th place - Scotland has got what it takes to be an independent country.
"Scotland can, should and must vote Yes - so that we gain the powers needed to build a fair society and prosperous economy, where the wealth of Scotland works for all the people."
Stripping out the don't-knows, support split 53% to 47% in favour of a No vote, but Mr Jenkins said he was confident the pro-independence campaign could achieve the 3% swing required to take the lead.
The split in the previous Panelbase poll, excluding undecided voters, was 56% to 44% in favour of No.
Six months ago a survey by Panelbase - which tends to find stronger support for independence than rival pollsters - showed the Yes campaign in the lead.
Commenting on the earlier result, a Better Together spokesman said: "A similar nationalist-commissioned Panelbase poll back in September had Yes in the lead, so this is hardly progress for the nationalists."
The poll comes a day after a survey by TNS for The Herald showed Yes supporters were more likely to become actively involved in the campaign, than those who wanted Scotland to stay in the UK.
Meanwhile, actor Cox, who helped launch Yes Scotland two years ago, said: "I think Americans ought be pro-independence," adding that the debate should not focus on the possible currency options for an independent Scotland but should "get back to egalitarian principles".
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