As a new member of the EU a newly independent Scotland would almost certainly have to undertake to join the Euro. To do so is a condition of membership. Scotland would have no automatic right to the opt out currently held by the UK. Whether they could obtain such an opt out would be a matter of negotiation.
It is possible, but no more than that, that a Scotland which was remaining a part of the sterling area would obtain that opt out. It is fairly inconceivable that a Scotland with its own currency would obtain such a right.
Even if that's right, they could undertake to join the Euro eventually without having to do it any time soon. As I said up-thread there are a bunch of things the rules say they'd have to do first before they were even _allowed_ to join the Euro, one of which would be joining the ERM, which wouldn't even be _possible_ without making their own currency first.
The obvious course would be to just say that they planned to join the Euro, but not until the economic circumstances were right. That would allow Scotland to do anything they wanted in the meantime, and keep everybody happy. The days when the Commission and other member states wanted to squidge as many countries as possible in regardless of the economic situation are long gone; They've got enough headaches as it is.
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The obvious course would be to just say that they planned to join the Euro, but not until the economic circumstances were right. That would allow Scotland to do anything they wanted in the meantime, and keep everybody happy. The days when the Commission and other member states wanted to squidge as many countries as possible in regardless of the economic situation are long gone; They've got enough headaches as it is.
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