I have been listening to the debates on independence and thought I'd offer my views as a non-partisan Englishman who's about to go to Scotland on Holiday. For TL DR, read the prediction
Economics
Scotland want independence from Britain yet want to join the EU? So instead if being controlled by Westminster you will be controlled by Brussels, especially since you will be a small nation with much less political clout than Britain.
But you won't be able to join the EU, at least not initially, because you need to be in charge of your own currency. This is a formal requirement of joining the EU.
If you adopt our currency you will have no control and, as we have seen in the most recent financial crisis with failed states like Greece not getting the bailouts and low interest rates they need, this is a recipe for disaster.
If you go it alone and take your own currency, then your business with Britain will be somewhat hampered by exchange rate costs. 70% of ur business is with England and you will be turning one of your biggest customers into your biggest competitors.
Salmond wants to implement a whole load of socialist policies: increasing benefits , health care etc. But by leaving the union you will be leaving the British subsidies behind. What are you going to do? you will have an ultra high tax economy like those in Scandinavia? Who wants tax at 50/60%?
£17 bn pounds worth of business are already thinking of relocating south of the boarder. You can say goodbye to your healthy finance industry and asset management firms such as RBS, who will be relocating their headquarters to where the majority of their business is.
The 600 000 Scottish students in higher education in Britain can enjoy paying their own tuition fees at international rates. Atm you can study anywhere int he UK for free, subsidised by the British tax payer. When you leave, you will be funding your own education.
You will find it much more difficult to fund all of the offices in state because of reduced economies of scale. It's not easy funding a health service, judiciary, armed forces, revenue and customs office. While you are in Britain you can use shared resources and save on costs.
Politics
If you vote for independence you'll get Salmond as your prime minister. If you stay, you'll get even more political powers through the devo max thing. However, I can understand that the main benefit of independence is being masters at the helm.
If you have Tory sympathies, this will be a bad thing for you as it's more likely that you will get a very socialist, high-tax government elected.
We have been a political union for 300 hundred years, one of the most successful political unions in history. The Brits and the Scots are much more alike than they are dissimilar. You already have much say in the governing of your own affairs. So, I urge you to ask yourselves what you are really getting from a little bit more political autonomy? Does it outweigh the economic advantages?
Prediction
TL;DR
In the next ten years Scottish people would become a fair deal poorer. 1000s of people will lose jobs in the financial services. Education will become more expensive for students but you'll probably pick yourself up in the long-run. Tax will be a heavier burden on most families.
But I'm a Tory so if you leave it's a win win as labour will not be able to form a majority at the next general election.