In Shetland, Oil Shapes Debate Over Scottish Independence

 In September, Scotland will vote on whether to break away from the United Kingdom and declare independence.

So far, the debate has been largely about money: One poll says most voters would switch their vote if it meant an extra 500 pounds, or around $800 dollars.

North Sea oil and gas are central to this economic debate — nowhere more so than in the remote Shetland Islands, many miles from the Scottish mainland, where tankers carrying North Sea oil come ashore. The oil has transformed both the local and national economy.

Read more: http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/06/30/326777014/in-shetland-oil-shapes-debate-over-scottish-independence