In the 1690's Scotland attempted to establish a trading colony in Panama. This was badly run at all levels and bankrupted the Scots. A large part of the reason why the Act of Union 1707 was passed was because the English agreed to pay for the Scots.
Bribe them into Union, you mean. The Darien company bankrupted the Scots nobility, that is, the Scottish Parliament. Settlements were negotiated with the nobles and other big names in exchange for a yes vote.
In my opinion though, Union would have happened eventually anyway. Scotland was just so poor... It would be on different terms though, perhaps retaining the Scottish Parliament in a federal Britain or perhaps eliminating the Kirk and Scots law in an even more centralised Union.