British Prime Minister David Cameron delivered an impassioned plea to the Scots on Thursday, Feb 16 in defense of the United Kingdom, enticing Scotland to reject independence with an offer to devolve more power to Edinburgh.

Scotland's nationalist regional government, which already controls some areas of spending, wants to hold a referendum in late 2014 on full independence that could spell an end to a 300-year-old union with England.

Cameron took his case for keeping the United Kingdom intact to Scotland's picturesque capital, arguing in a speech laced with sentimental historical references that Scotland was better off as part of the union.

"The union helps to make Scotland stronger, safer, richer and fairer," he told a business audience, speaking against a panorama backdrop of Edinburgh castle, perched on a craggy volcano.

"Of course, Scotland could govern itself. So could England, but we do it so much better together," he said.

He warned Scotland would face an uncertain economic future alone. "There is for some smaller nations the risk that independence can actually lead to greater dependence," he said.

Cameron later began talks with Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond, leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP), to thrash out differences over the timing and content of the referendum Salmond wants to hold on independence, Reuters reported.