“I AM now a grandmother to two grandkids, I always wanted to sit the kids on my knee and say, ‘You know, your Nana fought for this for you, for a better future for you’.

“I'm sitting them on my knee now and I'm thinking, I don't know if I'll ever be able to say that to them. Here we are, 10 years down the line and we're no further forward.

“I don't want to wait another 10 years, but I don't know if I would ever give up the fight anyway.”

That sentiment, expressed by Susanne Crayton, who journeyed from Biggar to attend the Yes rally outside the Scottish parliament on Wednesday, summed up how many at the event were feeling.

Susanne Crayton (centre) travelled from Biggar to Edinburgh for the Yes rally (Image: NQ) Deflated, let down, disappointed. These words came readily to just about everyone The National spoke to as we looked to learn how Yes activists are feeling about the push for independence, 10 years after the historic referendum.

However, there was no complacency – and an equally universal feeling of hope for the future, even if that future now felt further away than it had done before. The pervasive mood was that the independence movement is in a lull. Down, but not out.

As Leona McKay, who had come over from Cumbernauld for the event, told The National: “I think we will get there [to independence], but not in my lifetime. I think it’ll be soon after that, which makes me feel sad.

“I want to be there to party when it happens! And it will happen – someday, it will happen.”

The mood was picked up on by The National columnist Lesley Riddoch, who in a rousing speech did not flinch from the realities of the task facing the Yes movement right now – but equally did not give up hope.

Leona McKay (left) and Linda Taylor (centre) at the Yes rally in Edinburgh on Wednesday (Image: NQ) But while the speeches and music lifted the atmosphere to something closer to the heady days of 2019 – when seeing thousands at similar Yes rallies was a regular occurrence – there remained a sadness among the crowd that independence seemed to have lost its urgency.

This in turn sparked serious concerns that, while independence may come down the line, it will not come quick enough to help many people suffering now.

One couple at the Believe in Scotland rally, called Shona and Norma, said they were saddened by the idea that young Scots – including their own grandchildren – may not get the same advantages they were afforded if independence takes decades more to achieve.

Norman further said it was “miserable” to see the chance to give Scots a better life today slipping away.

READ MORE: Tommy Sheppard: The Yes movement needs to get its mojo back

“It has to happen now, it does,” he said of independence. “I feel if it doesn't happen now … I mean, Scotland has seen so many negative changes in my lifetime … It's so sad.”

Another activist at Wednesday’s rally, Lesley, said she agreed with SNP depute leader Keith Brown’s assessment that Westminster would never grant another Section 30 order, meaning independence could be put off indefinitely.

“We lost the chance 10 years ago. It's going to take a while to get back,” her partner Mike said, adding: “I’m optimistic that the Scottish people will eventually realise what they've lost, especially after Labour coming in and making all these promises.”

One feeling was all but ubiquitous at Wednesday’s rally, even among the speakers on stage: that to win independence the Yes movement needs to unite as it did in 2014.

The rally for independence outside the Scottish Parliament on September 18, 2024 (Image: NQ) “We've got to stop destroying ourselves, the Scottish independence movement has to stop destroying themselves,” Mike said. “Then hopefully we'll get there.”

Others raised concerns that “lies and accusations” – both between Yes activists and in the media – were putting people off joining the movement.

Susanne said she believed there was too much division among independence supporters, telling The National: “Politically, I feel that we're needing to start holding some feet to the fire because I think we are all over the place. I think the movement's divided. I think politicians are divided.

“I think we're all just needing to hit the reset button and start again.”

READ MORE: Scottish currency conference 'the plan the Yes movement has waited 10 years for'

Shona said she wanted to see an “amalgamation” of the Yes campaign groups – and said someone “with real push” would have to lead it.

However, Linda Taylor, who travelled from Bishopriggs alongside Leona, said that it would instead take everyone. “It is up to us all and it's good that it's becoming like that,” she said.

“I do think it’s a bit of a turning point for the movement now that it’s not being SNP led. It's everybody, and there's a desire to let everybody have their say.”

Ten years on from the independence referendum, it might be unsurprising to find people introspective and remorseful about what could have been. But, as so many people said, the independence movement got back up after that defeat – and saw the polls hit as high as 58% for Yes in 2020.

There was an unshakeable belief that it will do so again.