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We asked you to look at the idea of designing a flag for a new independent Scotland should the vote go that way — you’ll probably know the result by now, since the Scots were heading to the polls a couple of days after we went to press. Perhaps not surprisingly, we got a response from predominantly Scottish designers. Here’s the pick of the results, with a serious approach on this page and a more light-hearted take overleaf. Unfortunately, there’s no show to accompany this as our venue got cold feet finding this a little too political…

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Graphical House

Our flag concept takes the existing graphic elements of the saltire and simply reconfigures them to suggest an optimistic and outward-looking nation.

Alex McQuaig, MET Studio

The blue represents the saltire and two fingers dipped in blue paint and dragged across the face of the ancient Scottish warriors. The lion comes from the Royal Standard of Scotland and shows the continued link with the monarchy after independence.

Kerr Vernon

My thinking was to keep the saltire blue but to lose the religious aspect of the cross (or X). Nobody admits to believing in God these days, anyway, and besides, weren't the missionaries a tad preachy in forcing Christianity upon the world? If we change the X to a Y, and turn it on its head, we can adopt the CND/peace symbol as our flag. This also references the hot topic of Trident potentially getting turfed out of Scotland if YES wins.

Suisse

We suspect the saltire will never change. Christ's disciple Peter (later named Andrew) elected to be crucified on an 'X' as opposed to the same cross as Christ, as he felt unworthy. In legend, a white X in an azure sky also appeared as a pre-battle omen following the prayers of the King of Scotland. This historic mark is deeply rooted in our history. The blue is now 'officially' Pantone 300. Our proposal shifts the balance of the X to emphasise the forward movement of a country in transition.

Nicol & Lumsden
Cut Here!

The saltire is an integral part of Scotland's identity, and has enjoyed iconic silver-screen moments such as when American actor Mel Gibson clad with tribal, blue face paint in Braveheart, screamed a rousing anti-English war cry (in a bad accent). So why not keep the saltire and simply tweak it to the similarly iconic 'cut here' scissors. After all, that's what independence will mean. Cut off for good!

Nicol & Lumsden
Just say 'No' to England

A visual white cross that obliterates the Cross of St George. At last the visual dominance that some Scots so desperately crave. Feel better?

Nicol & Lumsden
Keep Oot!

Ostensibly this idea is based on a desire by some to rebuild Hadrian's Wall -- in this case topped with barbed wire (in a saltire formation)! It would have followed a traditional triptych flag format, but somehow the broken glass layer seemed a tad OTT.

Nicol & Lumsden
Have You Got the Balls?

A double-bulbed spiky thistle -- with deliberately graphic anatomical reference to the male reproductive organs, so often associated with bravery, verve and commitment. But sometimes it's better to think with the head...