Highlands and Islands (Scottish Parliament electoral region)

The Highlands and Islands is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Eight of the parliament's first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs).

The name Highlands and Islands is much older than the electoral region. The Highlands and Islands area has a large area of overlap with the Scottish Highlands, and the two names are often regarded as representing the same area.

The Highlands and Islands region is the largest of the eight electoral regions in terms of area, but the smallest in terms of population and electorate. It has boundaries with the North East Scotland, Mid Scotland and Fife and the West Scotland electoral regions.

The most high-profile MSP for the region has been Winnie Ewing, the matriarch of the Ewing political family.

Constituencies and council areas

2011–

As a result of the First Periodic Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries the boundaries of the region and constituencies were redrawn for the 2011 Scottish Parliament election.

Map	Constituency
	Argyll and Bute Caithness, Sutherland and Ross Inverness and Nairn Moray Na h-Eileanan an Iar Orkney Shetland Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch

1999–2011

The constituencies were created in 1999 with the names and boundaries of Westminster constituencies, as existing at that time.^[1] They covered all of four council areas,^[2] the Highland council area, Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles council area), the Orkney Isles council area and the Shetland Isles council area, and most of two others, the Argyll and Bute council area and the Moray council area:

Map

Constituency

Argyll and Bute covers most of the Argyll and Bute council area. Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross covers a northern portion of the Highland council area. Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber covers a southern portion of the Highland council area. Moray covers most of the Moray council area. Orkney covers the Orkney Isles council area. Ross, Skye and Inverness West covers a central portion of the Highland council area. Shetland covers the Shetland Isles council area. Western Isles covers Na h-Eileanan Siar.

A south-eastern portion of the Argyll and Bute area is covered by the Dumbarton constituency, which is in the West of Scotland region. An eastern portion of the Moray area is covered by the Gordon constituency, in the North East Scotland region.

Boundary changes

The Boundary Commission also recommended changes to the electoral regions used to elect "list" members of the Scottish Parliament. Highlands and Islands was amended so as to contain the newly redrawn constituencies of Argyll and Bute; Caithness, Sutherland and Ross; Inverness and Nairn; Moray; Na h-Eileanan an Iar; Orkney Islands; Shetland Islands; and Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch.^[3]

Members of the Scottish Parliament

Constituency MSPs

Regional List MSPs

N.B. This table is for presentation purposes only

2011 Scottish Parliament election

In the 2011 Scottish Parliament election the region elected MSPs as follows:^[4]

• 9 Scottish National Party MSPs (six constituency members and three additional members)
• 2 Liberal Democrat MSPs (both constituency members)
• 2 Labour MSPs (both additional members)
• 2 Conservative MSPs (both additional members)

Additional member results

2007 Scottish Parliament election

In the 2007 Scottish Parliament election the region elected MSPs as follows:

• 6 Scottish National Party MSPs (four constituency MSPs and two additional members)
• 4 Liberal Democrat MSPs (all constituency MSPs)
• 3 Labour MSPs (all additional members)
• 2 Conservative MSPs (both additional members)

Constituency results

Additional member results

2003 Scottish Parliament election

In the 2003 Scottish Parliament election the region elected MSPs as follows:

• 5 Liberal Democrat MSPs (all constituency MSPs)
• 4 Scottish National Party MSPs (two constituency MSPs and two additional members)
• 3 Labour MSPs (one constituency MSP and two additional mermbers)
• 2 Conservative MSPs (both additional members)
• 1 Green MSP (additional member)

Constituency results

Changes:

• Margaret Ewing, Scottish National Party MSP for Moray, died on 21 March 2006. The by-election was won by Richard Lochhead of the SNP.

Additional member results

Changes:

• Dave Petrie replaced Mary Scanlon. Scanlon resigned as an MSP in April 2006 to contest the Moray by-election following the death of Margaret Ewing. Petrie was next on the Conservative list.

1999 Scottish Parliament election

In the 1999 Scottish Parliament election the region elected MSPs as follows:

• 5 Liberal Democrat MSPs (all constituency members)
• 4 Scottish National Party MSPs (two constituency and two additional members)
• 4 Labour MSPs (one constituency and three additional members)
• 2 Conservative MSP (both additional members)

Constituency results

Additional member results

Footnotes

1. ↑ Scottish Westminster constituencies were mostly replaced with new constituencies in 2005. See The 5th Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland.
2. ↑ Council areas are as defined in 1996, and were changed after the Scottish Parliament election, 2007.
3. ↑ "Politicians, elections and democracy: Elections and voting: Scottish Parliamentary". Highland Council. Retrieved 9 August 2014. 
4. ↑ "Your MSPs: Highlands & Islands" (PDF). Scottish Government. May 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2014. 

Electoral regions and Constituencies of the Scottish Parliament 1999–2011 » 2011– » Central Scotland Airdrie and Shotts Coatbridge and Chryston Cumbernauld and Kilsyth East Kilbride Falkirk East Falkirk West Hamilton North and Bellshill Hamilton South Kilmarnock and Loudoun Motherwell and Wishaw Glasgow Glasgow Anniesland Glasgow Baillieston Glasgow Cathcart Glasgow Govan Glasgow Kelvin Glasgow Maryhill Glasgow Pollok Glasgow Rutherglen Glasgow Shettleston Glasgow Springburn Highlands and Islands Argyll and Bute Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber Moray Orkney Ross, Skye and Inverness West Shetland Western Isles Lothians Edinburgh Central Edinburgh East and Musselburgh Edinburgh North and Leith Edinburgh Pentlands Edinburgh South Edinburgh West Linlithgow Livingston Midlothian Mid Scotland and Fife Central Fife Dunfermline East Dunfermline West Kirkcaldy North East Fife North Tayside Ochil Perth Stirling North East Scotland Aberdeen Central Aberdeen North Aberdeen South Angus Banff and Buchan Dundee East Dundee West Gordon West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine South of Scotland Ayr Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley Clydesdale Cunninghame South Dumfries East Lothian Galloway and Upper Nithsdale Roxburgh and Berwickshire Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale West of Scotland Clydebank and Milngavie Cunninghame North Dumbarton Eastwood Greenock and Inverclyde Paisley North Paisley South Strathkelvin and Bearsden West Renfrewshire