Among the cars abandoned on verges by the side of the road, a series of signs stood at the entrance to Edinburgh’s International Climbing Arena.
They included phrases such as “embrace the fear”. It’s something the SNP’s opponents need to face up to with the prospect of a Nationalist uprising in a little more than two weeks’ time.
Certainly the venue seemed appropriate. Walls which looked impossible to scale surrounded the stage as Nicola Sturgeon’s arrival heralded such fanfare her deputy, Stewart Hosie, had to ask more than once for a bit of calm.
It kind of worked. This was a very excitable crowd, especially the man who kept whooping and screaming: “YEAH!” from behind me. My left ear is still ringing.
The biggest cheer of the event came when the First Minister said the SNP will “always support independence.” Not so much fanfare when she talked about “making Scotland stronger” within the UK.
Tellingly, she also had to ask those present not to shout down the press during the question and answer session. The BBC’s James Cook still got a couple of heckles, though.
Some interesting ideas are within the document. It’s kind of like a “Labour but further left Labour” plan in many respects.
On that front, there’s backing for the 50p top rate of income tax, mansion tax and a bankers’ bonus tax.
The question on May 8, in the event of a hung parliament, will be: Is there enough common ground for those two to do a deal?