From Vladimir Putin to Kermit the Frog - 10 bizarre indyref moments you may have forgotten

The independence referendum changed Scotland. It was an extraordinary time in which questions of identity, nationhood and belonging gripped the country.

Across the land, weighty debates took place over important issues such as currency, borders and EU membership. But there was also, let’s face it, a lot of nonsense.

As we look back on that remarkable period a decade later, it is worth remembering some of the more ridiculous, unusual or downright bizarre moments. After all, they form part of the story, too. Here’s just ten. How many do you remember?

What do Vladimir Putin, Kermit the Frog, Alex Salmond and Lego have in common? | Getty Images

June 2013: Alex Salmond sparks flag row at Wimbledon

In an early sign of rising tensions, Alex Salmond caused a media kerfuffle after unfurling a large Saltire flag at Wimbledon to celebrate Andy Murray's historic win. The former first minister was accused of "photobombing" David Cameron, who was seated just in front of him in the Royal Box.

Mr Salmond later revealed the flag had been in his wife Moira's handbag. "It is not something that happens very often, so I think a few Saltires hoisted over Wimbledon does not do any harm at all," he said. 

Critics called the move "crass" and "naff", and it also appeared to break the rules set by Wimbledon's All England Club owners (gasp!). Perhaps more damningly, tennis ace Murray later said he "didn’t like it".

January 2014: #indyrefski

As the year of the referendum dawned, a bizarre story was splashed across the front page of the Sunday Herald. It referenced a report by Russia's leading news agency, Itar-Tass, indicating David Cameron had appealed to Vladimir Putin for help in the fight against Scottish independence.

"Great Britain is extremely interested in the support of Russia, as holder of the G8 presidency, in two vital areas in 2014: the Afghan pull-out and the Scottish independence referendum," the agency wrote.

The hashtag #indyrefski was soon trending on Twitter. Mr Salmond said it raised "serious questions about the UK government's underhand tactics". 

A spokesman for Mr Cameron declined to comment, saying there were no quotes to back the claim up. And given the source, it should probably be treated with several handfuls of salt. 

But it would not be Mr Putin’s last appearance in the referendum debate.

January 2014: Pete Wishart’s private school Twitter spat

Pete Wishart, the SNP MP for Perth and Kinross-shire, is an experienced political operator, which makes his spat with private school kids in January 2014 all the more amusing.

The veteran MP had taken part in a BBC Radio Scotland debate at Strathallan school in Forgandenny, Perthshire, where the audience of fifth and sixth-year pupils were not receptive to his arguments.

As he recalls in his published diary, things turned sour when he mentioned "the rather obvious point that private schools like Strathallan weren't perhaps representative of the school community or young people at large”.

Mr Wishart later found his Twitter feed "flooded” by peeved pupils, and was called a “gimp” and a “wanker”. He perhaps didn’t help matters by tweeting about being behind with “the posh private school constituency”.

Strathallan said comments from a small number of students had been “inappropriate”, but also made its unhappiness with Mr Wishart apparent. "Clearly they were upset by the attacks made upon them, but this does not excuse the nature of some of the responses,” the school said.

March 2014: Kermit the Frog backs the union

The referendum campaign saw a number of high-profile interventions. In February 2014, David Bowie famously urged Scotland to "stay with us" in a statement delivered by the model Kate Moss at the Brit awards. 

But the real highlight came the following month. In an interview with the Big Issue, Kermit the Frog unexpectedly added his croak to the unionist ranks.

Asked if he agreed with Bowie, the Muppet replied: "Absolutely." But he added: "I understand that Miss Piggy is willing to serve as Queen of Scotland if there is a split. So you may want to guard your castles."

Mr Cameron's official spokesman was later asked if the prime minister "had a hand in" the comments. "Are you suggesting someone has been pulling strings?" he replied, with mock outrage.

April 2014: Alex Salmond expresses ‘certain’ admiration for Putin

What is it with the referendum campaign and Mr Putin? The Russian president was namechecked again in April 2014.

Asked in an interview with the New Statesman whether he admired Mr Putin, Mr Salmond said: "Certain aspects. He's restored a substantial part of Russian pride and that must be a good thing.

"There are aspects of Russian constitutionality and the inter-mesh with business and politics that are obviously difficult to admire. Russians are fantastic people, incidentally, they are lovely people."

Mr Salmond later defended the comments, insisting they were "balanced remarks and any reasonable interpretation would say they were pretty sensible as well". But opponents had a field day.

June 2014: Alistair Darling compares Alex Salmond to Kim Jong-il 

Not to be outdone, a couple of months later Alistair Darling, the leader of the Better Together campaign, used an interview with the New Statesman to compare Mr Salmond to former North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il.

"He [Mr Salmond] said on the BBC that people voted Ukip in Scotland because English TV was being beamed into Scotland,” Mr Darling said. "This was a North Korean response. This is something that Kim Jong-il would say.”

A spokesman for the first minister called the remarks “pathetic” and “puerile”. Better Together said the reaction was "overblown".

June 2014: Lego slaps down Better Together

After analysis by the Treasury claimed Scots would be £1,400 better off every year staying part of the union, the UK government issued a press release listing some of the things this extra money could be spent on.

The not-at-all-patronising examples included scoffing 280 hotdogs at the Edinburgh Festival, and were illustrated using Lego figures. Unfortunately, the toy manufacturer had not been asked for permission.

"We have requested that the images are removed due to our neutral political stance,” Lego UK said in a statement. “We are a children's toy company and therefore all of our communication is targeted towards children.”

Needless to say, the development was met with glee on the Yes side. “The No campaign's bogus arguments against a Yes vote are being dismantled brick by brick,” said the SNP’s Stewart Hosie.

July 2014: ‘Passionate Highlander’ goes viral

Nigel Hanlin’s contribution in the BBC Question Time audience in July 2014 became an immediate internet sensation.

The eccentric pensioner, who was then 71, told the panel: "I was born in Inverness, I'm a passionate Highlander and I love Scotland. And I will take a stand to keep the United Kingdom together. I will give my life for my country as my grandfather did in the First World War, and his brother Charlie.”

His voice rising, he concluded: “Highland Regiment, British Army. I am British forever. We will never, never change. We will keep our union together in the name of Jesus.”

To be honest, the intensity of it has to be seen to be believed. But Mr Hanlin seemed happy with his new-found fame. “What a difference a few days makes,” he told the Daily Mail. “Millions of people are listening to the Better Together message.”

August 2014: Eat your cereal

It was aimed at persuading undecided female voters to reject independence, but within days this Better Together advert had sparked a backlash.

The short film, titled “The woman who made up her mind”, shows a working mother in her kitchen, talking to the camera about the referendum. Her husband "will not leave off” about it, she tells us. “He started again first thing this morning. ‘Have you made a decision yet?’ I was like, ‘it’s too early to be discussing politics. Eat your cereal’.”

The woman explains there are "only so many hours in the day" and calls Mr Salmond “that guy off the telly”, before deciding to vote No because she will not gamble with her children’s future.

Critics called the advert patronising and sexist, but Better Together figures defended it. At any rate, the phrase “eat your cereal” has entered the nationalist lexicon. Ten years later, it was still being referenced at the SNP’s recent annual conference.

September 2014: The Imperial March

In the last week of the referendum campaign, Labour MPs headed to Scotland to help make the case for the union. Unfortunately for them, they were met by a man on a rickshaw blasting the Imperial March theme tune from Star Wars.

"Say hello to your imperial masters,” Matt Lygate told passers-by as he followed the troop of politicians, some of whom were wheeling suitcases, through Glasgow city centre.

“These lovely people have travelled all the way from England to tell us they are better to rule us than anybody else, our imperial masters. People of Glasgow, your imperial masters have arrived."

Chunks of the surreal footage can still be viewed on YouTube.

Thanks to Pete Wishart’s book, Inside the Indyref, for jogging my memory for this piece. You can read The Scotsman’s review of it here.