The political map of the Highlands and Islands shifted significantly as the Scottish Liberal Democrats secured major constituency victories, the SNP held Inverness and Nairn and Reform UK gained regional representation in the Scottish Parliament for the first time in the north.
Results declared across the region confirmed a strong night for the Liberal Democrats in rural Highland constituencies, while the SNP maintained its grip on Inverness and Nairn after one of the most closely watched contests of the election.
In Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Liberal Democrat candidate David Green was elected MSP with 14,666 votes.
SNP candidate Maree Todd secured 9,574 votes while Reform UK candidate Steven Welsh finished third with 3,900 votes.
The turnout for the constituency was 54.19 per cent.
The result represented a major gain for the Liberal Democrats in one of the Highlands’ key rural seats.
In Inverness and Nairn, Emma Roddick held the constituency for the SNP with 11,162 votes after a closely fought contest.
Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate Neil Alexander secured 10,735 votes.
Former SNP MSP Fergus Ewing, standing as an independent candidate, received 7,840 votes in one of the most high profile independent campaigns of the election.
Reform UK candidate Fred Campbell secured 3,791 votes.
Turnout in Inverness and Nairn reached 54.74 per cent.
In Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, the Liberal Democrats secured another significant victory with Andrew Baxter elected on 15,223 votes.
SNP candidate Eilidh Munro received 14,273 votes in a tightly contested race.
Reform UK candidate Jon Whitton secured 4,669 votes while the Conservatives received 2,731 votes.
The turnout in the constituency reached 57.77 per cent, one of the strongest across the Highlands and Islands.
Regional list results for the Highlands and Islands were declared later, confirming seven additional MSPs for Holyrood.
Reform UK secured two regional seats with Vic Currie and Max Bannerman elected.
The Scottish Greens returned Ariane Burgess and Kristopher Leask through the regional list.
Tim Eagle was elected for the Scottish Conservatives.
Morven May MacCallum secured a regional seat for the Scottish Liberal Democrats.
Despite losing the Caithness, Sutherland and Ross constituency contest, Maree Todd returned to Holyrood through the regional list for the SNP.
The results underline a changing political landscape across the Highlands and Islands, with the Liberal Democrats rebuilding strength in rural areas, Reform UK establishing a foothold in the north and the SNP continuing to hold key urban support around Inverness.
