I wouldn't say independence is certain but I think it is looking more likely than it was prior to the referendum. Most people were predicting, and the initial polls were prediciting, a much bigger No vote than the outcome eventually showed. Even though it wasn't quite enough all the momentum was with Yes and the SNP and that momentum has continued since. Certainly for the party anyway. Who would have predicted a year ago that after a referendum defeat the SNP would get 50% of the vote in the Westminster election and win every seat bar 3 - and that they would now be 62% in the polls for the Holyrood election! I think also the idea of it is better to work with us lefties down south than leave idea has been pretty damaged too because of the general election campaign. The Tories ran an overtly anti-Scottish smear campaign and Labour were cowed by it totally failing to condemn the tone of the Tory campaign. So both parties tried to win votes in England by demonising the potential Nats in Westminster abd both parties plus the Lib Dems suffered in Scotland because of it. The Tory vote dropped despite the Labour and Lib Dem collapse. Dropped slightly only probably because they are basically at their rock bottom core vote anyway! So interesting times.

Corbyn is despite being around for a long time potentially a new face for Labour and yes the Nats would work with him at Westminster level but there is a lingering resentment and distrust among many in Scotland over the Labour general election tactics and there are two possible real clashes too. Corbyn in a recent speech said that any potential new referendum was a decision up to "the Scottish people, the Scottish parliament and the UK parliament". Not quite sure what he means by that but if he is suggesting Westminster would need to agree - thus giving a veto to the UK as a whole and denying self determination to the Scottish electorate - then he is heading for a clash with the Scottish gvt at some point. Secondly he can say he'll work with the SNP but I don't think everyone in England quite realizes just how much the Scottish Labour party and SNP are at loggerheads in Scotland. I can't imagine Kezia Dugdale looking forward to working with a party she clearly despises and I imagine Sturgeon would take delight in causing a wee bit mischief by openly working directly with Corbyn rather than what the SNP regard as the Branch Office of Labour in Scotland.