1603
James IV of Scotland becomes James I of England, after succeeding Elizabeth I. From this point on the nations have the same monarch.
1707
England and Scotland are formally joined in the Act of Union.
1934
The Scottish Nationalist Party is formed, calling for the creation of a separate Scottish assembly.
1942
The SNP switches to demand secession from England, causing some senior figures to leave.
1966
Following the discovery of lucratice oil fields in the North Sea, the SNP secures its first MP.
1968
Tory PM Ted Heath responds to rising nationalism by committing to create a Scottish assembly. However, he does not follow through on the commitment.
1979
James Callaghan’s Labour government passes the Scotland Act, which laid the ground for a Scottish assembly to be established.
However, a last-minute amendment made it a condition that at least 40 per cent of Scots back the idea in a referendum.
Although the subsequent vote endorsed the change, the threshold was not reached so devolution did not happen.
May 1997
Tony Blair and New Labour win a landslide, sweeping the Conservatives out of Scottish seats and promising devolution.
Mr Blair hopes that giving more powers will halt the SNP’s independence momentum.
He puts Donald Dewar in charge of creating the new structure and holding a referendum.
September 1997
Mr Blair’s devolution push comes to fruition when Scots back creation of a Scottish assembly with tax-raising powers in a referendum.
1999
The Scottish Parliament opens, with Alex Salmond saying it is a major step on the road to total separation.
2011
The SNP secures a surprise overall majority at Holyrood, despite the electoral arrangements being designed to avoid one party being dominant.
Mr Salmond declares he has a mandate for a referendum on independence.
September 18, 2014
After desperate efforts by unionists to head off a referendum, one is held. The SNP complains that the ‘Better Together’ campaign deploys ‘Project Fear’.
There are threats to stop Scotland using the pound after independence, cut it adrift from the Bank of England, and warnings that it will not be able to stay in the EU.
Tony Blair avoids campaigning for the union, in an acknowledgement of the depth of his unpopularity after the Iraq War.
Both Mr Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, who later takes over as SNP leader, say that the referendum will settle the issue ‘for a generation’.
The unionists emerge victorious by 55 per cent to 45 per cent. David Cameron later indiscreetly reveals that the Queen ‘purred down the phone’ at him when informed of the result.
June 23, 2016
The UK votes to leave the EU in a referendum, but Scotland votes strongly to retain ties with the bloc.
The SNP seizes on the Brexit vote to renew their push, saying circumstance have dramatically changed.
January 31, 2020
After years of bitter wrangling with Brussels and in Westminster, and Boris Johnson winning an 80 majority at a pre-Christmas election, the UK finally leaves the EU.
Nicola Sturgeon steps up her calls for an independence referendum vote to be held this year.
March 2020
As the world is hammered by the coronavirus, Ms Sturgeon declares that she is putting her independence drive on hold.
The devolution settlement granted Scotland control of public health issues, and that power has been boosted by new pandemic emergency laws rushed through Westminster.
But critics accuse Ms Sturgeon of exploiting the crisis by refusing to move in step with the UK government.
She complains that Westminster is denying her funding, even though Scotland has received more than £7.5billion extra, on top of access to national schemes like furlough.
October 2020
A poll puts support for independence at a new record high of 58 per cent, the latest in a series of surveys to show a surge in separatism.
November 2020
The SNP says it wants to hold a referendum next year if – as polls suggest will happen – it wins a majority at Holyrood elections in May.
Mr Johnson insists he will not allow a new referendum, but there are fears that resisting will merely fuel separatist sentiment.