EDINBURGH, Dhu-AlQa'dah 23, 1435, September 18, 2014, SPA -- Scots began voting in an independence referendum on Thursday that will decide the fate of the United Kingdom, after opinion polls showed hundreds of thousands of them were still agonizing over whether to stay with the 307-year union or back secession, Reuters reported. In the final hours before polling stations opened, leaders of both sides urged Scots to seize the reins of history in a vote that has divided families, friends and lovers but also electrified this country of 5.3 million. From the remote Scottish islands of the Atlantic to the toughest city estates of Glasgow, voters are being asked to answer "Yes" or "No" to the question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?" --SPA 12:36 LOCAL TIME 09:36 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w