[El Car]

If Scotland do vote to go it alone, I hope to God they get themselves a better leader than Salmond.

That's what most people are actually missing   Scotland are NOT voting for independence (read the small print). They are voting to express their preference. If they do vote for independence it will not happen overnight and the protracted negotiations for a split could take years and may never happen unless mutually agreeable terms are met. It's all another big con.

But I'd vote for a split if I was them.

Technically it's not legally binding, but the UK government has agreed that in the event of a 'yes' outcome Scotland will become independent, so it is a de facto vote for independence. The timeline is as you say uncertain though. I think March 2016 is the provisional date set for conclusion of the legal side of things allowing for the transition, but some major issues will have to be cleared by then.