Hands Across the Border Cairn

Address:
Gretna Gateway, Gretna DG16 5JD, Scotland

A referendum on Scottish independence from the United Kingdom took place on Thursday 18 September 2014. The referendum question, which voters answered with Yes or No, was Should Scotland be an independent country? The No side won, with 2,001,926 voting against independence and 1,617,989 voting in favour. The turnout of 84.6% was the highest recorded for an election or referendum in the United Kingdom since the introduction of universal suffrage. The Scottish Independence Referendum Act 2013, setting out the arrangements for the referendum, was passed by the Scottish Parliament in November 2013, following an agreement between the devolved Scottish government and the Government of the United Kingdom. To pass, the independence proposal required a simple majority. With some exceptions, European Union or Commonwealth citizens resident in Scotland aged sixteen years or over could vote, a total of almost 4,300,000 people. This was the first time that the electoral franchise was extended to include sixteen and seventeen-year-olds in Scotland. Yes Scotland was the main campaign group for independence, while Better Together was the main campaign group in favour of maintaining the union. Many other campaign groups, political parties, businesses, newspapers and prominent individuals were also involved. Prominent issues raised during the referendum included which currency an independent Scotland would use, public expenditure, EU membership, and North Sea oil. An exit poll of voters revealed that for No-voters, the retention of the pound sterling was the deciding factor, while for yes-voters, the biggest single motivation was disaffection with Westminster politics.
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Attraction Location

Hands Across the Border Cairn Videos

Hands Across The Border - Stones of Unity

The Auld Acquaintance in Gretna, Scotland was built in the summer and fall of 2014 as a symbol of unity between peoples of the United Kingdom. Located exactly at the Scottish-English border, the cairn is made from stones brought from all over the UK and, indeed, the world: pieces of the Berlin wall, lava from Kenya, hand carved sandstone, and countless other treasures and stories lay within its walls.

The Auld Acquantaince was created by handsacrosstheborder.co.uk in anticipation of the Scottish Indpendence Referendum on September 18, 2014. The cairn and its thousands of hand-painted messages serve as a permanent monument to the connection and shared identity between British people of all heritages.

Sir Ranulph Fiennes supports Hands Across The Border

Great interview with Sir Ranulph Fiennes who came to show his support for Scotland remaining in the United Kingdom at Hands Across The Border's Mountaineers and Explorers Day at The Auld Acquaintance Cairn in Gretna.

Hands Across the Border

Hands Across the Border is a campaign to keep Scotland as part of the United Kingdom. Thousands of people are coming together to build a huge cairn on the English-Scottish border to show their love, commitment and respect for the union. We want it to send a powerful message to the people of Scotland come the 18th of September. #handsacrosstheborder #indyref #nothanks

British explorers - why we're better together

British explorers and mountaineers gathered at the Hands Across the Border cairn at Gretna in the run-up to the Scottish independence vote, to add their voice to the Better Together campaign. Eden Lighthouse went along to capture what Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Doug Scott CBE and Alan Hinkes OBE had to say.

Alan Hinkes supports Hands Across The Border

Alan Hinkes, the first British mountaineer to have climbed all 14 mountains higher than 8000 metres gives his support to our campaign.

Candles lit at Unity Cairn in support of No vote in referendum

Hundreds of people gathered in the small village of Gretna Green, at the Scotland-England border, on Tuesday evening to express their support for the No campaign in the upcoming referendum.
Candles were lit at the Unity Cairn, at a place that has come to symbolise people's love of the United Kingdom.
Local lawmaker Rory Stewart started the campaign, which encourages people who support the union to come and lay at stone at this border spot to signify their appreciation and continued support for Scotland's place in the United Kingdom.
Thursday's referendum, in which more than 4.2 million people are registered to vote, is a high-stakes decision that could end a political union that has stood since 1707.

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The Tory Rory Stewart Cairn plus short interview

Sunday 20th July 2014

Interview with Rory Stewart MP

Launch of the Auld Acquaintance cairn, Gretna. By Libby Brooms

Candles lit in support of 'No' vote in referendum

Hundreds of people gathered in the small village of Gretna Green, at the Scotland-England border, on Tuesday evening to express their support for the "No" campaign in the upcoming referendum. Candles were lit at the Unity Cairn, at a place that has come to symbolise people's love of the United Kingdom. #LocalHeroes