The Better Together campaign has stormed to victory in Aberdeenshire with a resounding no.
Yes Scotland managed to win only 71,337 out of the 180,045 votes cast in the region whereas no campaigners secured 108,606 votes.
One- hundred-and-two ballots were spoiled.
No campaigners celebrated as Counting Officer Colin Mackenzie announced the results at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC) at around 5.30am.
The result was declared more than two hours later than expected as foggy weather delayed the arrival of some ballot boxes until around 1.30am.
And the bad weather was also claimed to be the reason for First Minister Alex Salmond failing to appear at the count of his own constituency.
Within the first hour of sifting through the ballot papers unionists said they were “quietly confident” the night was going to go their way.
Speaking halfway through the count Aberdeenshire Council leader Jim Gifford said he had witnessed around 10 boxes being counted. All of which put the Nos comfortably in the lead.
However the Conservative Councillor said that whatever the vote he believed the debate had been beneficial for engaging the Scottish population in politics.
He said: “People have been involved in this debate having never been interest in politics before. It really is great for democracy.”
Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP and yes campaigner Stewart Stevenson agreed with this sentiment and said: “People have taken politics over from the politicians and that is how it should continue.”
The atmosphere at the AECC remained fairly flat overnight as it became clear early on the Nos were in the lead.
Local politicians hoping for an independent Scotland tried to keep positive as the first two or three counts were announced strongly in favour of the union.
They claimed it was still too early to predict the final result.
But as the morning progressed, and the gap started to narrow nationally, crowds started to gather around the TVs which were scattered around the conference .
Tensions grew as the councils announced their decisions one by one and cheers grew louder and louder.
However north-east MP Rt Hon Sir Malcolm Bruce said that it had always been clear to him that his constituents were “not buying” independence.
He said: “I never understood this argument that there was this movement from no to yes.
“We have been saying for the last several weeks this is not what we are getting. We have been seeing clear, strong nos.
“They are not buying the independence case. The message we have been trying to get through to people is if you walk away from the UK you walk away from a lot of institutions we take for granted and part of what defines us as British. They were clearly listening to us.”