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Highlands and Islands (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
Scottish Parliament electoral region
Scottish Parliament electoral region
| Field | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| name | Highlands and Islands | |
| constituency_type | electoral region | |
| parl_name | Scottish Parliament | |
| image | [[File:Highlands and Islands (Scottish Parliament electoral region).svg | 220px]] |
| caption | Highlands and Islands shown within Scotland (2011 boundaries) | |
| year | 1999 | |
| member_label | MSPs | |
| members | Scottish National Party 7 | |
| Conservative 4 | ||
| Liberal Democrats 2 | ||
| Labour 1 | ||
| Scottish Greens 1 | ||
| local_council_label | Council areas | |
| local_council | Argyll and Bute (part) | |
| Highland | ||
| Moray (part) | ||
| Na h-Eileanan Siar | ||
| Orkney Islands | ||
| Shetland Islands | ||
| parts_label | Constituencies | |
| parts | Argyll and Bute | |
| Caithness, Sutherland and Ross | ||
| Inverness and Nairn | ||
| Moray | ||
| Na h-Eileanan an Iar | ||
| Orkney | ||
| Shetland | ||
| Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch | ||
| electorate | 359,306 (2022) |
Conservative 4 Liberal Democrats 2 Labour 1 Scottish Greens 1 Highland Moray (part) Na h-Eileanan Siar Orkney Islands Shetland Islands Caithness, Sutherland and Ross Inverness and Nairn Moray Na h-Eileanan an Iar Orkney Shetland Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch
The Highlands and Islands is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament, 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. In creating the region Boundaries Scotland considered that special geographical considerations applied due to the area's low population density, large physical size and poor transport links. It has boundaries with the North East Scotland, Mid Scotland and Fife and the West Scotland electoral regions.
Constituencies and council areas
2026–present
Following the Second Periodic Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries, boundaries for Scotland's electoral regions and constituencies were redrawn ahead the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. The Highlands and Islands saw a very minor change in its boundary with North East Scotland, as result of changes to the boundary between the Moray and Banffshire and Buchan Coast constituencies, but was otherwise left unchanged.
2011–2026
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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| [[File:Highlands and Islands (Scottish Parliament electoral region) 2011.png | center | 350px]] |
1999–2011
The constituencies were created in 1999 with the names and boundaries of Westminster constituencies, as existing at that time. They covered all of four council areas, 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| [[File:Highlands and Islands ScottishParliamentNumberd.PNG | center | 350px]] |
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.
List of MSPs
Constituency MSPs
| Term | Election | Argyll and Bute | Caithness, Sutherland | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| and Easter Ross | Inverness East, | ||||||||||||||||||
| Nairn and Lochaber | Moray | Ross, Skye | |||||||||||||||||
| and Inverness West | Western Isles | Orkney | Shetland | Term | Election | Argyll and Bute | Caithness, | ||||||||||||
| Sutherland and Ross | Inverness and Nairn | Moray | Skye, Lochaber | ||||||||||||||||
| and Badenoch | Na h-Eileanan an Iar | Orkney | Shetland | ||||||||||||||||
| 1st | 1999 | Scottish Liberal Democrats}}" rowspan="3" | George Lyon | ||||||||||||||||
| (LD) | Scottish Liberal Democrats}}" rowspan="4" | Jamie Stone | |||||||||||||||||
| (LD) | Scottish National Party}}" rowspan="4" | Fergus Ewing | |||||||||||||||||
| (SNP) | Scottish National Party}}" rowspan="2" | Margaret Ewing | |||||||||||||||||
| (SNP) | Scottish Liberal Democrats}}" rowspan="4" | John Farquhar Munro | |||||||||||||||||
| (LD) | Scottish Labour}}" rowspan="3" | Alasdair Morrison | |||||||||||||||||
| (Labour) | Scottish Liberal Democrats}}" rowspan="4" | Jim Wallace | |||||||||||||||||
| (LD) | Scottish Liberal Democrats}}" rowspan="4" | Tavish Scott | |||||||||||||||||
| (LD) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd | 2003 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 by | Scottish National Party}}" rowspan="2" | Richard Lochhead | |||||||||||||||||
| (SNP) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd | 2007 | Scottish National Party}}" | Jim Mather | ||||||||||||||||
| (SNP) | Scottish National Party}}" | Alasdair Allan | |||||||||||||||||
| (SNP) | Liam McArthur | ||||||||||||||||||
| (LD) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 4th | 2011 | Scottish National Party}}" rowspan="3" | Michael Russell | ||||||||||||||||
| (SNP) | Scottish National Party}}" | Rob Gibson | |||||||||||||||||
| (SNP) | Scottish National Party}}" rowspan="4" | Fergus Ewing | |||||||||||||||||
| (SNP) | Scottish National Party}}" rowspan="4" | Richard Lochhead | |||||||||||||||||
| (SNP) | Scottish National Party}}" | David Thompson | |||||||||||||||||
| (SNP) | Scottish National Party}}" rowspan="4" | Alasdair Allan | |||||||||||||||||
| (SNP) | Scottish Liberal Democrats}}" rowspan="4" | Liam McArthur | |||||||||||||||||
| (LD) | Scottish Liberal Democrats}}" rowspan="2" | Tavish Scott | |||||||||||||||||
| (LD) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 5th | 2016 | Scottish National Party}}" rowspan="2" | Gail Ross | ||||||||||||||||
| (SNP) | Scottish National Party}}" rowspan="3" | Kate Forbes | |||||||||||||||||
| (SNP) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 by | Scottish Liberal Democrats}}" rowspan="2" | Beatrice Wishart | |||||||||||||||||
| (LD) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 6th | 2021 | Scottish National Party}}" | Jenni Minto | ||||||||||||||||
| (SNP) | Scottish National Party}}" | Maree Todd | |||||||||||||||||
| (SNP) |
Regional list MSPs
N.B. This table is for presentation purposes only
| Term | Election | MSP | MSP | MSP | MSP | MSP | MSP | MSP | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1999 | Scottish National Party}}" rowspan="5" | Winnie Ewing | |||||||
| (SNP) | Scottish National Party}}" rowspan="10" | Duncan Hamilton | ||||||||
| (SNP) | Scottish Labour}}" | Rhoda Grant | ||||||||
| (Labour) | Scottish Labour}}" rowspan="8" | |||||||||
| 2nd | 2003 | Rob Gibson | ||||||||
| (SNP) | Jim Mather | |||||||||
| (SNP) | Scottish Greens}}" rowspan="2" | Eleanor Scott | ||||||||
| (Green) | ||||||||||
| 2006 by | Dave Petrie | |||||||||
| (Conservative) | ||||||||||
| 3rd | 2007 | David Thompson | ||||||||
| (SNP) | Scottish Labour}}" rowspan="7" | Rhoda Grant | ||||||||
| (Labour) | David Stewart | |||||||||
| (Labour) | Mary Scanlon | |||||||||
| (Conservative) | ||||||||||
| 4th | 2011 | John Finnie | ||||||||
| (SNP) | ||||||||||
| (later Independent) | Mike MacKenzie | |||||||||
| (SNP) | Scottish National Party}}" | Jean Urquhart | ||||||||
| (SNP) | ||||||||||
| (later Independent) | ||||||||||
| 2012 | Independent politician}}" | Independent politician}}" | ||||||||
| 5th | 2016 | Scottish Green Party}}" rowspan="4" | John Finnie | |||||||
| (Green) | Maree Todd | |||||||||
| (SNP) | Scottish Conservatives}}" rowspan="4" | Douglas Ross | ||||||||
| (Conservative) | Edward Mountain | |||||||||
| (Conservative) | Donald Cameron | |||||||||
| (Conservative) | ||||||||||
| 2017 | Jamie Halcro Johnston | |||||||||
| (Conservative) | ||||||||||
| 6th | 2021 | Ariane Burgess | ||||||||
| (Green) | Emma Roddick | |||||||||
| (SNP) | Scottish Conservatives}}" | Douglas Ross | ||||||||
| (Conservative) | ||||||||||
| 2024 | Scottish Conservatives}}" | Tim Eagle |
Election results
2026 Scottish Parliament election
Main article: 2026 Scottish Parliament election
2021 Scottish Parliament election
Main article: 2021 Scottish Parliament election
Constituency results
References
- (April 2025). "Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers". Boundaries Scotland.
- (April 2025). "Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers". Boundaries Scotland.
- (April 2025). "Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers". Boundaries Scotland.
- Scottish Westminster constituencies were mostly replaced with new constituencies in 2005. See ''[http://www.bcomm-scotland.gov.uk/ The 5th Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland] {{webarchive. link. (2007-09-21 ''.)
- Council areas are as defined in 1996, and were changed after the [[2007 Scottish Parliament election]].
- "Politicians, elections and democracy: Elections and voting: Scottish Parliamentary". [[Highland Council]].
- MacNeill, Alison. "Scottish Parliamentary Election 2021 results for the Highlands and Islands Regional List".
- [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2021/scotland/regions/S17000011 Highlands and Islands] [region], BBC News; retrieved 8 May 2021
- "Scottish Parliamentary election 2016: Highlands and Islands Region Statement of persons and parties nominated and Notice of Poll".
- (May 2013). "Your MSPs: Highlands & Islands". Scottish Government.
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