Highland Council is Independent/SNP controlled

With the exception of the audit and scrutiny committee, all are members of the new Independent/Scottish National Party administration.

The authority's convener and vice-convener took up their appointments earlier this month.

Allowances of �36,000 and �27,041 will be awarded to those posts and �23,600 to the chairs of strategic committees, according to the council.

Special responsibility allowances of �19,600 will be paid to the chairs of area planning and licensing committees.

The vice-chairs of resources, education, culture and sport, housing and social work, planning, environment and development and transport, environmental and community services will be paid �18,600.

Other posts of vice-chairs are not remunerated.

The allowances include the �15,492 paid as a salary to each of the 80 councillors, who serve on the council in 14 four-member and eight three-member wards.

Resources committee chairwoman is Carolyn Wilson, who represents Cromarty Firth, and Dingwall and Seaforth councillor Peter Cairns is vice-chairman.

Education culture and sports chairman is Roderick Balfour, Culloden and Ardersier, and vice Bren Gormley, Fort William and Ardnamurchan.

Housing and social work chairwoman is Margaret Davidson, Aird and Loch Ness, and Liz MacDonald, Nairn, is vice.

The 35-strong independent group on Highland Council agreed to go into coalition with the SNP's 17 members after the local authority elections Eilean a' Cheo, Gaelic for Misty Isle, is what the council now call Skye, above The population of the area covered by Highland is about 211,340

Planning environment and development chairman is Drew Hendry, Aird and Loch Ness, and vice-chairwoman is Isobel McCallum, Black Isle.

Transport, environmental and community services chairman is John Laing, Eilean a' Cheo (Skye), and vice is Roy Pedersen, Inverness South.

David Alston, Black Isle, is chairman of the audit and scrutiny committee.

Hamish Fraser, Eilean a' Cheo, heads the Gaelic committee.

City of Inverness committee chairman and provost is Bob Wynd, Culloden and Ardersier.

Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross planning and review committee chairman is Donald Mackay, Thurso, and vice Robert Coghill, Landward Caithness.

Ross, Skye and Lochaber chairman is David Chisholm, Dingwall and Seaforth, and Bill Clark, Caol and Mallaig, vice.

Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey chairman is Ian Brown, Inverness Millburn, and Mr Wynd is vice.

Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross licensing committee chairman is Alasdair Rhind, Tain and Easter Ross.

Ross, Skye and Lochaber licensing chairwoman is Margaret Paterson, Dingwall and Seaforth. Meanwhile, Inverness, Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey licensing chairman is Peter Corbett, Inverness Central.