The SNP suffered a double blow at the weekend with reports of a low turnout for their independence march and a shock poll showing teenagers want to remain in the UK.
A survey of almost 2,500 schoolchildren found only 26% were in favour of independence, with 59% against and 15% undecided.
The poll asked 2,457 S4 pupils how they would vote in the independence referendum if given the right. Kilgraston, near Perth, was one of the 24 schools who took part.
The SNP have been campaigning for 16 and 17-year olds to be allowed a vote on independence. Until the poll, carried out by a Sunday newspaper, it had been assumed younger people were more strongly in favour of leaving the UK.
The new research suggests the opposite is the case 26% is lower than the 30-35% of adults who support independence.
Two thirds of the pupils polled wanted to be allowed to vote in the referendum.
The poll was released the day after the SNP held a pro-independence march in Edinburgh.
According to police only 5,000 attended the march although the SNP claimed 10,000 was the true figure.
Two people were arrested for minor offences.
First Minister Alex Salmond spoke to the audience in Princes Street Gardens. He told the crowd Scotland had the right to choose a national health service, no tuition fees and minimum alcohol pricing.
Referring to the Westminster Government, Mr Salmond said to cheers and applause: ”Why should they choose austerity when we want to choose to invest in the future?
”Why should they choose to govern social security in such a way that people with disability and blindness have to come to the Scottish Parliament complaining about being reduced to penury?
”We choose a different way to protect the people of Scotland and we want the right to choose whether our people should be sent into illegal wars and we want the right to choose to remove weapons of mass destruction from the shores of Scotland.”
Many people attending the rally said they would not have supported independence a year ago but had changed their minds.
Peter Walls (46), from Dundee, said: ”I think today is a warm-up for 2014. For me it’s about self-choice, about not being dictated to.”
The SNP member said he had wanted independence ”since Thatcher was in power”.
June Sutherland (64), from Broxburn in West Lothian, said: ”The reason for me changing my mind is the UK Government. They’re shutting down all the air bases.
”Once they started hitting our soldiers and our airmen, that was enough for me. I didn’t expect the turnout today. I’m proud to be here.”