With 55.3 percent of the vote, Scots have voted against a referendum to declare the country's independence from the United Kingdom. The Guardian reports unprecedented voter turnout, with some councils reporting 90 percent of their residents having voted. In total, more than 3.6 million people—or 84.6 percent of eligible voters—cast ballots.

"The people of Scotland have spoken and it is a clear result," British Prime Minister David Cameron said after the vote, according to the New York Times. "They have kept our country of four nations together. As I said during the campaign, it would have broken my heart to see our United Kingdom come to an end."

Cameron added that Britain would keep its promise to give Scotland's Parliament more power. "We will ensure that those commitments are honoured in full," he said.

[Image via AP]