Aberdeenshire West

Electoral region

The other nine constituencies of the North East Scotland region are: Aberdeen Central, Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine, Aberdeen Donside, Aberdeenshire East, Angus North and Mearns, Angus South, Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Dundee City East, and Dundee City West. The region covers all of the Aberdeen City council area, the Aberdeenshire council area, the Angus council area, the Dundee City council area and part of the Moray council area.

Constituency boundaries and council area

Aberdeenshire is represented by five constituencies in the Scottish Parliament: Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine, Aberdeenshire East, Aberdeenshire West, Angus North and Mearns, and Banffshire and Buchan Coast.

Aberdeenshire West was created ahead of the 2011 Scottish Parliament election from parts of the former constituencies of Gordon and West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine by the first periodic review of Scottish Parliament boundaries. It remained unchanged following the second periodic review of Scottish Parliament boundaries.

• West Garioch (entire ward)
• Westhill and District (entire ward)
• Huntly, Strathbogie and Howe of Alford (entire ward)
• Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside (entire ward)
• Banchory and Mid-Deeside (entire ward)
• East Garioch (shared with Aberdeenshire East ),
• Stonehaven and Lower Deeside (shared with Angus North and Mearns)

Constituency profile and voting patterns

Constituency profile

The Aberdeenshire West constituency is an affluent rural constituency located along the western side of the Aberdeenshire council area. To the south of the constituency is Royal Deeside, located along the Valleys of the River Dee, which includes the affluent towns of Aboyne and Banchory and their surrounding rural areas. Along the western end of Royal Deeside is the Cairngorms National Park, covering Queen Elizabeth II's estate of Balmoral Castle. North-east of Deeside is the town of Westhill, which functions as a suburb to the city of Aberdeen. North of here, along the Valleys of the River Don in the area known as "Gordon", is Huntly, home to the Gordon Highlanders, and the former Royal Burgh of Kintore, which has developed into an Aberdonian suburb, with a near doubling of the town's population throughout the 2000s. The constituency is among the least deprived parts of Scotland, with slight deprivation in the south-west of Huntly, and high rates of affluence elsewhere.

Oil and agriculture form a significant part of the local economy, with tourist interests around Royal Deeside. The constituency also covers the Royal Lochnagar distillery located to the west of Royal Deeside.

Voting patterns

The Aberdeenshire West constituency was formed in 2011 from parts of the former constituencies of Gordon and West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine. From the establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 until 2007 these constituencies were both represented by the Liberal Democrats. In 2007, Gordon was gained by the SNP's Alex Salmond, who served as the First Minister of Scotland from 2007 until 2014.

In the 2012 local council election, the Conservative vote in areas covered by the Aberdeenshire West constituency tended to be strongest around Royal Deeside, covering the villages of Aboyne, Ballater and Banchory, and to a lesser extent around Westhill and its surrounding areas. The rural region of Garioch, situated along the River Don and its tributary streams, tended to be better for the SNP and Liberal Democrats.

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Election results

2020s

2010s

References

Citations

Bibliography

References

1. Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 25.
2. Under the [[Additional-member system. additional-member electoral system]] used for elections to the Scottish Parliament, it elects one [[Member of the Scottish Parliament]] (MSP) by the [[first past the post]] method of election. It is also one of ten constituencies in the [[North East Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region). North East Scotland]] [[Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions
3. Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 143.
4. Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 52.
5. The constituency comprises the following [[Wards of the United Kingdom
6. "SIMD (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation) 2016".
7. (8 May 2021). "Declaration of regional votes cast in a constituency: Aberdeenshire West".
8. (8 May 2021). "Declaration of constituency result: Aberdeenshire West".
9. [https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2021/scotland/constituencies/S16000078 Constituencies A-Z. Aberdeenshire West], BBC News; retrieved 8 May 2021
10. "Aberdeenshire West: Declaration of constituency result & Declaration of regional votes cast in a constituency".
11. "Aberdeenshire West - Scottish Parliament constituency".
12. "Scottish Parliamentary Elections and Voting System Referendum 2011".
13. (6 May 2011). "Declaration of regional votes cast in a constituency: Aberdeenshire West".