Latest headlines
- Victory for the SNP with 63 seats - two short of a majority
- Conservatives are the second largest party on 31 seats - but Labour on 24 lost 13 seats
- Scottish Greens are the fourth largest party with six seats, ahead of the Lib Dems who won five
- See the changing political map of Scotland
Scoreboard
| Party | Candidates | Votes | % | Net percentage change in seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party SNP Scottish National Party | CandidatesGail Ross | Votes13,937 | 43.3% | Net percentage change in seats−5.1 |
| Party LD Scottish Lib Dems | CandidatesJamie Stone | Votes10,024 | 31.1% | Net percentage change in seats+8.8 |
| Party CON Scottish Conservatives | CandidatesStruan Mackie | Votes4,912 | 15.3% | Net percentage change in seats+5.0 |
| Party LAB Scottish Labour | CandidatesLeah Franchetti | Votes3,334 | 10.4% | Net percentage change in seats−8.7 |
Change compared with 2011 | ||||
Turnout and Majority
Scottish National Party Majority
3,913Turnout
58.4%Constituency Profile
This is the northernmost constituency on the mainland, and covers a vast but sparsely populated area. Caithness is at the northern tip of the constituency, and is made up of farming and fishing communities around the two main towns of Thurso and Wick. John O'Groats attracts tourists to the area, while the mountains and moorland of Sutherland also bring considerable numbers of holidaymakers to the rugged but beautiful area.
The Easter Ross element of the seat is much the smaller in terms of area but is far more densely populated, including the town of Invergordon, home to many workers in the oil industry.
The former Westminster MP Bob Maclennan, represented three different parties for this seat - Labour, the SDP and then the Liberal Democrats. The Holyrood seat was represented by Lib Dem Jamie Stone from 1999 to 2011, when it was taken by Rob Gibson for the SNP.
