Scottish independence, naval basing, and fiscal capacity

If Scotland became independent, where would the fleet be based and what would the naval issue mean for Scotland?

Most surface forces were based farther south, while the submarine force operated from Scotland; any independence plan would also have to reconcile defence and other spending promises with the Scottish tax base.

In a 2020 exchange about an independent Scotland, the Royal Navy's surface-fleet basing is distinguished from the submarine question. The surface fleet was largely based farther south, while nuclear and ballistic-missile submarines operated from Scotland. The wider issue would be the effect on Scotland's economy and whether proposed spending promises matched the available tax base. The response is a brief contemporary fiscal and basing judgment rather than a worked independence plan, but it shows why defence geography cannot be separated from state capacity.