The sky may have been murky, but the views of Angus folk on Scotland’s future were clear and sharp as The Courier referendum roadshow rolled into Montrose and Arbroath on Wednesday.
Politicians came in for stick in equal measure from both the yes and no camps and the two burghs delivered a startling difference of opinion.
Roger Lawrence, 65, of Montrose said: “I think we would be better having more devolved government, but we’re too small a country to go it alone.
“A lot of things here are better than down south, like health services and local councils.
“But what it comes down to is that I don’t trust any politician and that’s the fundamental problem.”
Jim Robertson, 77, said: “I’m a very definite yes, but the problem is that there hasn’t been a proper debate yet.
“All we’ve heard from the no side is a constant stream of negativity and that stuff with the CBI was just a farce.”
The Montrose ping-pong ball poll came out at 64% against and 36% for independence.
In Arbroath, the arrival of the roadshow battlebus brightened up the driech day for yes voter Patricia Millar.
“I’m so glad that The Courier is taking the bull by the horns and going out to all these places to get opinions,” she said.
“It’s good to get the chance to speak, but at the end of the day the true test will be when people go to the polls and put their cross in the box.”
In an almost exact reversal of the Montrose vote, 63% were in favour of independence and 37% against.
Follow the roadshow events at www.thecourier.co.uk/indy-roadshow.