Andrew Black Political reporter, BBC Scotland news website

When Nicol Stephen was returned as MSP for Aberdeen South during election night on 3 May 2007, he was still Scotland's deputy first minister.

Mt Stephen aimed for electric performances at question time

From the platform, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader spoke of his determination to deliver his party's policies in the new Scottish Parliament.

But something else was transpiring at the Aberdeen count. The SNP was making in-roads to the Lib Dems' north-east heartland.

Mr Stephen retained his seat with a 2,732 majority, but suffered an 11.21% swing to the Nationalists.

And SNP leader Alex Salmond claimed the Gordon seat from the Lib Dems.

Back at the new Holyrood, Mr Stephen's party found itself out of power for the first time since devolution in 1999.

His deal-breaking election campaign stance against independence ruled out any chance of a coalition with the Nationalists.

Although the Lib Dems got 75% of their manifesto through the last parliament, not everyone in the party was happy.

Some found being number two in the Labour power-sharing deal a bruising experience, and were happy to spend some time in opposition.

The Lib Dems claimed credit over university funding

When it came to the SNP's first budget, the Lib Dems refused to play the amendment game - but did claim credit after ministers agreed to work with university leaders on funding levels.

In the Holyrood chamber the party expressed its concerns - and those of university principals - that higher education had not been given enough cash.

The Lib Dems, along with other parties, also put enough pressure on the government to increase the recruitment of new police officers and have pressed ministers hard on cutting primary class sizes and abolishing student debt.

But despite several other last minute concessions, they still refused to back the budget, choosing to abstain instead.

They branded Mr Salmond's eve-of budget threat to resign if it fell a "landmark strop" - a plan, the party said, to deflect attention away from holes in the �30bn spending plans, including detail on how ministers' ambitious efficiency savings would be achieved.

And then came Mr Stephen's gloves-off approach to first minister's question time - most notably his assertion that the Scottish Government's involvement with Donald Trump's �1bn north east golf resort plan "smelled of sleaze".

The Menie Estate plans were called in by ministers after being narrowly rejected by an Aberdeenshire Council committee.

Scotland's top civil servant, Sir John Elvidge, ruled civil servants played by the rules. Time will tell if Mr Stephen will end up having to eat his words.

Mr Stephen made strong comments on the Trump application

Perhaps of more immediate concern was the rejection of development on the casting vote of Aberdeenshire Council's infrastructure convener - Lib Dem councillor Martin Ford - even though the resort was largely supported by the council.

Mr Ford was sacked from the role and later claimed his party was carrying out a "witch hunt" against him.

Despite Jack McConnell's resignation as Labour leader after his reign as Scotland's longest-serving first minister, Mr Stephen decided to stay on and lead the party at Holyrood, slimmed down by one MSP to 16 after polling day.

And the Liberal Democrats have experienced bittersweet fortunes on a UK level - the party's hammer blow victory against Labour in the Dunfermline and West Fife by-election came before the resignation of Sir Menzies Campbell - also a Fife MP - as leader.

If Liberal Democrat MSPs and the party faithful want a headline-grabbing leadership which can lobby the government for change on key issues, they have it in Mr Stephen.