Summary
Elections to The Highland Council were held on 5 May 2022, the same day as the 31 other Scottish local government elections. As with other Scottish council elections, it was held using single transferable vote (STV) – a form of proportional representation – in which multiple candidates are elected in each ward and voters rank candidates in order of preference.
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All 74 seats to The Highland Council 38 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 47.4%[note 1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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For the first time, a political party won the most seats in a Highland Council election as the Scottish National Party (SNP) replaced independent councillors as the largest group on the council after winning 22 seats. In total, 21 independents were elected. The Liberal Democrats gained five seats to hold 15 while the Conservatives matched their record-breaking performance at the 2017 election by holding 10 seats. The Greens overtook Labour to become the fifth-largest group on the council after gaining three seats to hold four. Labour lost one seat to hold two.
Following the election, the SNP and independent groups formed a coalition to run the council.
Background edit
Previous election edit
At the previous election in 2017, a plurality of councillors returned were independents with 28 elected – seven fewer than the previous election. The Scottish National Party (SNP) were the largest political party elected with 22 seats while the Conservatives won their first seats on the council since 1995 as they gained 10 seats – their best ever result in the region. Both the Liberal Democrats and Labour lost five seats to hold 10 and three respectively while the Greens won their first representation on the council.[1][2]
As a result, the independent group formed a coalition administration with the Labour and Liberal Democrat groups to run the council.[3]
| Party | Seats | Vote share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | 28 | 36.1% | |
| SNP | 22 | 25.0% | |
| Conservatives | 10 | 15.7% | |
| Liberal Democrats | 10 | 12.8% | |
| Labour | 3 | 6.9% | |
| Green | 1 | 3.1% | |
Electoral system edit
The election used the 21 wards created under the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, with 64 councillors being elected. Each ward elected either 3 or 4 members, using the single transferable vote (STV) electoral system – a form of proportional representation – where candidates are ranked in order of preference.[4]
Composition edit
Since the previous election, there were several changes in the composition of the council. A number were changes to the political affiliation of councillors, including SNP councillors Calum MacLeod, Maxine Smith, Pauline Munro and Liz MacDonald who resigned from the party to become independents[5][6] and independent councillor Donnie Mackay who resigned from the independent administration to join the Conservatives.[7] Independent councillor Andrew Baxter was removed from the independent administration and initially continued under the designation "Real Independent" before joining the Conservatives.[8] SNP councillor Ken Gowans resigned from the party to become an independent in 2017 before subsequently rejoining the party the following year.[9]
In total, nine by-elections were held and resulted in an independent gain from the Liberal Democrats,[10] a Liberal Democrats gain from the SNP,[11] an SNP gain from the Liberal Democrats,[12] an SNP hold,[13] an independent hold,[14] an independent gain from the Conservatives,[15] two Liberal Democrats gains from independents[16] and an SNP gain from the Conservatives.[17] Independent councillor Ben Thompson resigned from the council in November 2021 and Tom Heggie, also an independent councillor, died in February 2022 which left vacancies on the council which would not be filled as they occurred less than six months before the election.[18][19]
| Party | 2017 result | Final composition[Note 1] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independents | 28 | 28[note 3] | |
| SNP | 22 | 19 | |
| Conservative | 10 | 10 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 10 | 11 | |
| Labour | 3 | 3 | |
| Green | 1 | 1 |
- Notes
- ^ Note 1: Two vacancies created less than six months before the election were not filled so there were only 72 councillors prior to the poll.
Retiring councillors edit
Of the 72 sitting councillors before the election, 30 did not stand for re-election. Additionally, four councillors contested different wards from the ones they previously represented. With four sitting councillors defeated at the polls, only 38 sitting councillors were re-elected in 2022.
| Ward | Party | Retiring councillor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| North, West and Central Sutherland | SNP | Kirsteen Currie | |
| Liberal Democrats | Linda Munro | ||
| Thurso and North West Caithness | Conservative | Donnie Mackay | |
| Wick and East Caithness | Liberal Democrats | Jill Tilt | |
| East Sutherland and Edderton | Labour | Deirdre Mackay | |
| Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh | SNP | Ian Cockburn | |
| Alexander MacInnes | |||
| Conservative | Derek MacLeod | ||
| Cromarty Firth | Independent | Mike Finlayson | |
| Carolyn Wilson | |||
| Dingwall and Seaforth | Independent | Alister MacKinnon | |
| Black Isle | Liberal Democrats | Gordon Adam | |
| Independent | Jennifer Barclay | ||
| SNP | Craig Fraser | ||
| Eilean a' Cheò | Independent | John Gordon | |
| Calum MacLeod | |||
| Caol and Mallaig | Independent | Allan Henderson | |
| Liberal Democrats | Denis Rixson | ||
| Aird and Loch Ness | Independent | Helen Carmichael | |
| Margaret Davidson | |||
| Inverness Central | Independent | Janet Campbell | |
| SNP | Emma Roddick | ||
| Inverness Ness-side | Conservative | Callum Smith | |
| Inverness Millburn | Labour | Jimmy Gray | |
| Culloden and Ardersier | Independent | Roddy Balfour | |
| Nairn and Cawdor | Independent | Liz MacDonald | |
| Conservative | Peter Saggers | ||
| Inverness South | Liberal Democrats | Carolyn Caddick | |
| Fort William and Ardnamurchan | SNP | Blair Allan | |
| Niall McLean | |||
Proposed boundary changes edit
Following the passing of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, a review of the boundaries was undertaken in North Ayrshire, Argyll and Bute, Highland, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. The Act allowed single- or two-member wards to be created to provide better representation of island communities. New ward boundaries were proposed by Boundaries Scotland in 2021 which would have reduced the number of wards by one to 20 and the number of councillors by one to 73. The proposals would have made no changes to the boundaries or numbers of councillors in Cromarty Firth; Fort William and Ardnamurchan; Nairn and Cawdor and Thurso and North West Caithness. The boundaries in Eilean a' Cheò[note 4] and North, West and Central Sutherland would have remained the same but the numbers of councillors would have been reduced from four to three and from three to two respectively. Further changes would have seen four new wards created in Inverness, with the total number of councillors representing the city rising from 16 to 18 while Caol and Mallaig would have been renamed Caol, Mallaig and the Small Isles to recognise the island communities within the ward. Boundaries Scotland said the changes would "create more recognisable ward boundaries by Inverness, Tain and Knoydart" and "better align with the historical Caithness–Sutherland county boundary". However, the proposals in Highland were rejected by the Scottish Parliament and the 21 wards created under the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 remained in place.[21][22]
Candidates edit
The total number of candidates fell from 166 in 2017 to 142. The election again saw the number of independent candidates outstrip the number selected by any political party as 40 stood for election – down from 61 in 2017. However, this was less than half the number which had regularly contested elections in Highland since the local government reforms in the 1990s which peaked at 108 in 2003 – the last election before the introduction of STV.[23] The SNP fielded more candidates than any other political party at 23 – down from the 32 fielded at the previous election – but they did not contest every ward as they had in 2017. Both the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives contested every ward and stood 21 candidates each as they did in 2017. Labour stood 14 candidates – down from 18 – while the Greens stood 11 candidates – up from eight – and the Libertarians stood two candidates – up from one in 2017. The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) stood a candidate for the first time since 2012. For the first time, the Alba Party (four), the Scottish Family Party (one), the Independence for Scotland Party (ISP) (one) and the Freedom Alliance (one) stood candidates in a Highland election. Neither the Scottish Socialist Party, the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) nor the Scottish Christian Party, which had all contested the 2017 elections, stood any candidates.[2][20]
Uncontested seats edit
After nominations closed on 30 March 2022, there were not enough candidates in Caol and Mallaig to require an election: three candidates stood for the three seats available. As a result, Green candidate Andrew Baldrey, Liberal Democrats candidate John Colin Grafton and Conservative candidate Liz Saggers were elected without a poll. This was one of a number of uncontested wards across Scotland, with a total of 18 councillors automatically elected. Despite their candidate being elected without a poll, the lack of interest in standing for election was called a "threat to local democracy" by the Greens. During the 2017 local elections in Scotland, just three council wards were uncontested, but votes were held in every ward in both 2007 and 2012 – the first elections to use multi-member wards and the Single transferable vote. Public disinterest in standing for election to local councils has been linked to the "ridiculous" size of some local authorities and the low pay councillors receive for their work.[24][25][26]
Results edit
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SNP | 22 | 3 | 3 | 
|
29.7 | 30.1 | 25,915 |  5.2
| |
| Independent | 21 | 1 | 8 |  7
|
28.3 | 25.6 | 22,035 | 10.5
| |
| Liberal Democrats | 15 | 6 | 1 | 5
|
20.2 | 19.7 | 16,920 | 6.8
| |
| Conservative | 10 | 2 | 2 |
|
13.5 | 14.6 | 12,544 | 1.0
| |
| Scottish Green | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3
|
5.4 | 4.0 | 3,459 | 0.9
| |
| Labour | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1
|
2.7 | 5.0 | 4,308 | 1.9
| |
| Alba | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
0.0 | 0.6 | 484 | New | |
| Scottish Family | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
0.0 | 0.2 | 163 | New | |
| Libertarian | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
0.0 | 0.1 | 71 | 0.1
| |
| Freedom Alliance | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
0.0 | 0.0 | 48 | New | |
| TUSC | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
0.0 | 0.0 | 47 | New | |
| ISP | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
0.0 | 0.0 | 46 | New | |
| Total | 74 | 86,040 | |||||||
Source: [20]
Note: Votes are the sum of first preference votes across all council wards. The net gain/loss and percentage changes relate to the result of the previous Scottish local elections on 4 May 2017. This is because STV has an element of proportionality which is not present unless multiple seats are being elected. This may differ from other published sources showing gain/loss relative to seats held at the dissolution of Scotland's councils.[27][28]
Ward summary edit
| Ward | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | Total Cllrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SNP | Independent | Lib Dem | Conservative | Green | Labour | Others | |||||||||
| North, West and Central Sutherland | 35.1 | 1 | 17.3 | 1 | 28.1 | 1 | 11.0 | 0 | 3.9 | 0 | 4.6 | 0 | 3 | ||
| Thurso and North West Caithness | 18.4 | 1 | 36.2 | 1 | 27.5 | 1 | 17.9 | 1 | 4 | ||||||
| Wick and East Caithness | 25.3 | 1 | 23.3 | 1 | 29.8 | 1 | 15.1 | 1 | 6.5 | 0 | 4 | ||||
| East Sutherland and Edderton | 26.5 | 1 | 19.0 | 1 | 35.8 | 1 | 17.0 | 0 | 1.6 | 0 | 3 | ||||
| Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh | 41.1 | 2 | 28.7 | 1 | 12.9 | 0 | 17.3 | 1 | 4 | ||||||
| Cromarty Firth | 29.1 | 1 | 29.2 | 2 | 27.9 | 1 | 6.7 | 0 | 2.9 | 0 | 4.2 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Tain and Easter Ross | 30.6 | 1 | 37.3 | 1 | 21.5 | 1 | 10.6 | 0 | 3 | ||||||
| Dingwall and Seaforth | 32.2 | 1 | 28.0 | 2 | 16.7 | 1 | 14.0 | 0 | 4.5 | 0 | 4.7 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Black Isle | 24.9 | 1 | 26.3 | 1 | 15.7 | 1 | 14.8 | 0 | 13.3 | 0 | 5.2 | 0 | 3 | ||
| Eilean a' Cheò | 22.6 | 1 | 56.1 | 2 | 3.5 | 0 | 10.7 | 1 | 3.5 | 0 | 3.7 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Caol and Mallaig | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | ||||||||
| Aird and Loch Ness | 26.2 | 1 | 31.0 | 1 | 6.6 | 0 | 21.1 | 1 | 10.2 | 1 | 4.9 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Inverness West | 31.2 | 1 | 8.1 | 0 | 34.2 | 1 | 9.3 | 0 | 7.5 | 1 | 8.4 | 0 | 1.3 | 0 | 3 |
| Inverness Central | 41.3 | 2 | 5.1 | 0 | 6.4 | 0 | 12.8 | 0 | 7.5 | 0 | 24.1 | 1 | 2.8 | 0 | 3 |
| Inverness Ness-side | 29.2 | 1 | 5.6 | 0 | 44.5 | 1 | 8.7 | 0 | 5.2 | 0 | 6.4 | 1 | 0.4 | 0 | 3 |
| Inverness Millburn | 40.8 | 1 | 23.8 | 1 | 21.6 | 1 | 13.9 | 0 | 3 | ||||||
| Culloden and Ardersier | 37.6 | 1 | 15.9 | 1 | 15.3 | 1 | 17.9 | 0 | 10.1 | 0 | 3.3 | 0 | 3 | ||
| Nairn and Cawdor | 27.2 | 1 | 43.9 | 2 | 10.5 | 0 | 16.2 | 1 | 2.2 | 0 | 4 | ||||
| Inverness South | 35.2 | 1 | 24.8 | 1 | 8.6 | 1 | 16.9 | 1 | 5.4 | 0 | 7.3 | 0 | 1.9 | 0 | 4 |
| Badenoch and Strathspey | 22.7 | 1 | 38.4 | 2 | 8.8 | 0 | 15.6 | 1 | 10.3 | 0 | 4.2 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Fort William and Ardnamurchan | 33.5 | 1 | 9.3 | 1 | 37.5 | 1 | 10.1 | 0 | 9.6 | 1 | 4 | ||||
| Total | 30.1 | 22 | 25.6 | 21 | 19.7 | 15 | 14.6 | 10 | 4.0 | 4 | 5.0 | 2 | 1.0 | 0 | 74 |
Source: [20]
Seats changing hands edit
Below is a list of seats which elected a different party or parties from 2017 in order to highlight the change in political composition of the council from the previous election. The list does not include defeated incumbents who resigned or defected from their party and subsequently failed re-election while the party held the seat.
| Seat | 2017 | 2022 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Member | Party | Member | |||
| Thurso and North West Caithness | Independent | Donnie MacKay[Note 1] | Liberal Democrats | Ron Gunn | ||
| Wick and East Caithness | Independent | Nicola Sinclair | Liberal Democrats | Jan McEwan | ||
| East Sutherland and Edderton | Labour | Deirdre MacKay | SNP | Leslie-anne Niven | ||
| Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh | Liberal Democrats | Kate Stephen | SNP | Chris Birt | ||
| Cromarty Firth | SNP | Maxine Smith[Note 2] | Liberal Democrats | Molly Nolan | ||
| Eilean a' Cheò | Independent | John Gordon | Conservative | Ruraidh Stewart | ||
| Caol and Mallaig | SNP | Billy MacLachlan | Green | Andrew Baldrey | ||
| Independent | Allan Henderson | Liberal Democrats | John Colin Grafton | |||
| Ben Thompson | Conservative | Liz Saggers | ||||
| Aird and Loch Ness | Independent | Helen Carmichael | Green | Chris Ballance | ||
| Inverness West | Independent | Graham Ross | Green | Ryan MacKintosh | ||
| Inverness Central | Independent | Janet Campbell | SNP | Kate MacLean | ||
| Inverness Ness-side | Conservative | Callum Smith | Labour | Andrew MacKintosh | ||
| Inverness Millburn | Labour | Jimmy Gray | Liberal Democrats | David Gregg | ||
| Badenoch and Strathspey | Green | Pippa Hadley | Independent | Russell Jones | ||
| Fort William and Ardnamurchan | SNP | Niall McLean | Green | Kate Willis | ||
| Conservative | Ian Ramon | Liberal Democrats | Angus MacDonald | |||
- Notes
- ^ Note 1: In 2017, Donnie MacKay was elected as an independent candidate but later joined the Conservatives.[7]
- ^ Note 2: In 2017, Cllr Smith was elected as an SNP candidate but later resigned from the party.[6] Now known as Cllr Maxine Morley-Smith, she retained her seat as an independent candidate.
Ward results edit
North, West and Central Sutherland edit
The SNP, the Liberal Democrats and independent candidate Hugh Morrison retained the seats they had won at the previous election.
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||||
| SNP | Marianne Hutchison | 35.1 | 968 | ||||||
| Liberal Democrats | Michael Baird | 28.0 | 773 | ||||||
| Independent | Hugh Morrison (incumbent) | 17.3 | 477 | 573 | 594 | 618 | 657 | 714 | |
| Conservative | Charlotte Gibson | 11.0 | 302 | 309 | 333 | 338 | 354 | 383 | |
| Labour | Clive Soley | 3.9 | 108 | 164 | 179 | 181 | 197 | ||
| Scottish Family | Philipp Tanzer | 2.9 | 80 | 92 | 96 | 107 | |||
| Freedom Alliance (UK) | Robert Alan Jardine | 1.7 | 48 | 58 | 61 | ||||
| Electorate: 4,998 Valid: 2,756 Spoilt: 32 Quota: 690 Turnout: 55.8% | |||||||||
Thurso and North West Caithness edit
The SNP, the Conservatives and independent candidate Matthew Reiss retained the seats they had won at the previous election while the Liberal Democrats gained one seat from former independent councillor Donnie MacKay. In 2017, Donnie MacKay was elected as an independent candidate but later joined the Conservatives.[7] He did not stand for re-election.
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||||
| Liberal Democrats | Ron Gunn | 27.5 | 1,411 | |||||
| Independent | Matthew Reiss (incumbent) | 20.4 | 1,049 | |||||
| SNP | Karl Rosie (incumbent)[note 5] | 18.4 | 947 | 1,004 | 1,007 | 1,008 | 1,056 | |
| Conservative | Struan Mackie (incumbent) | 17.9 | 921 | 1,044 | ||||
| Independent | Iain Gregory | 12.8 | 660 | 765 | 776 | 782 | 869 | |
| Independent | Alexander Glasgow | 2.9 | 151 | 174 | 175 | 177 | ||
| Electorate: 10,242 Valid: 5,139 Spoilt: 34 Quota: 1,028 Turnout: 50.5% | ||||||||
Wick and East Caithness edit
The SNP, the Conservatives and independent candidate A. I. Willie MacKay retained the seats they had won at the previous election while the Liberal Democrats gained one seat from independent councillor Nicola Sinclair.
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||||
| Liberal Democrats | Jan McEwan | 29.8 | 1,245 | |||||
| SNP | Raymond Bremner (incumbent) | 25.3 | 1,059 | |||||
| Conservative | Andrew Jarvie[note 6] | 15.1 | 632 | 700 | 705 | 755 | 873 | |
| Independent | A. I. Willie MacKay (incumbent) | 12.8 | 534 | 635 | 699 | 801 | 1,125 | |
| Independent | Bill Fernie | 10.5 | 438 | 518 | 571 | 669 | ||
| Labour | Neil MacDonald | 6.5 | 272 | 347 | 385 | |||
| Electorate: 10,103 Valid: 4,180 Spoilt: 45 Quota: 837 Turnout: 41.8% | ||||||||
East Sutherland and Edderton edit
The Liberal Democrats and independent candidate Jim McGillivray retained the seats they had won at the previous election while the SNP gained one seat from Labour.
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||
| Liberal Democrats | Richard Gale (incumbent) | 35.8 | 1,151 | ||||
| SNP | Leslie-anne Niven | 26.5 | 853 | ||||
| Independent | Jim McGillivray (incumbent) | 19.0 | 611 | 775 | 796 | 834 | |
| Conservative | Max Bannerman | 17.0 | 546 | 613 | 615 | 635 | |
| Libertarian | Harry Christian | 1.6 | 53 | 80 | 84 | ||
| Electorate: 6,446 Valid: 3,214 Spoilt: 39 Quota: 804 Turnout: 50.5% | |||||||
Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh edit
The SNP, the Conservatives and independent candidate Biz Campbell retained the seats they had won at the previous election while the SNP also gained a seat from the Liberal Democrats.
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||||
| Independent | Biz Campbell (incumbent) | 28.7 | 1,552 | |||||
| SNP | Liz Kraft | 22.8 | 1,234 | |||||
| SNP | Chris Birt | 18.2 | 988 | 1,092 | ||||
| Conservative | Patrick Logue | 17.3 | 937 | 1,029 | 1,032 | 1,032 | 1,479 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Margot Kerr | 12.9 | 700 | 882 | 956 | 960 | ||
| Electorate: 10,406 Valid: 5,411 Spoilt: 74 Quota: 1,083 Turnout: 52.7% | ||||||||
Cromarty Firth edit
The SNP held one of their two seats and the Liberal Democrats gained one seat from the SNP. Independent candidate Pauline Munro also retained the seat she had won at the previous election and their remained two independents after Maxine Morley-Smith was re-elected as an independent candidate. In 2017, Cllr Smith – as she was known at the time – was elected as an SNP candidate and later resigned from the party
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||||
| SNP | Tamala Collier | 29.1 | 1,127 | |||||||||
| Liberal Democrats | Molly Nolan | 27.9 | 1,079 | |||||||||
| Independent | Pauline Munro (incumbent) | 17.5 | 679 | 749 | 804 | |||||||
| Independent | Maxine Morley-Smith (incumbent) | 7.3 | 283 | 323 | 355 | 370 | 383 | 446 | 498 | 575 | 705 | |
| Conservative | Andrew Phillip Baxter[note 7] | 6.7 | 261 | 266 | 315 | 315 | 322 | 346 | 350 | 397 | ||
| Labour | Kirsty Stewart | 4.2 | 162 | 194 | 238 | 239 | 249 | 267 | 343 | |||
| Independent | Kate Stevenson | 3.1 | 122 | 135 | 174 | 178 | 192 | |||||
| Scottish Green | Daniel Reat | 2.9 | 112 | 223 | 243 | 244 | 247 | 260 | ||||
| Independent | Eric Fraser | 1.1 | 45 | 54 | 64 | 65 | ||||||
| Electorate: 9,918 Valid: 3,870 Spoilt: 58 Quota: 775 Turnout: 39.6% | ||||||||||||
Tain and Easter Ross edit
The SNP and the Liberal Democrats retained the seats they had won at the previous election while independent candidate Alasdair Rhind gained a seat from independent candidate Fiona Robertson. Cllr Rhind was previously elected to represent the ward following a by-election in 2017 triggered by the resignation of former Liberal Democrat councillor Jamie Stone.[10]
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| SNP | Derek Louden (incumbent) | 30.6 | 1,051 | |||
| Liberal Democrats | Sarah Rawlings[note 8] | 21.5 | 739 | 780 | 922 | |
| Independent | Alasdair Rhind (incumbent) | 21.1 | 726 | 776 | 876 | |
| Independent | Fiona Robertson (incumbent) | 16.1 | 554 | 604 | 668 | |
| Conservative | Veronica Morrison | 10.6 | 364 | 368 | ||
| Electorate: 7,234 Valid: 3,434 Spoilt: 37 Quota: 859 Turnout: 48% | ||||||
Dingwall and Seaforth edit
The SNP, the Liberal Democrats and independent candidate Margaret Paterson retained the seats they had won at the previous election while independent candidate Sean Edward Kennedy gained a seat from former independent councillor Alister MacKinnon.
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||||
| SNP | Graham Alexander MacKenzie (incumbent) | 32.2 | 1,494 | |||||||
| Liberal Democrats | Angela MacLean (incumbent) | 16.7 | 773 | 853 | 947 | |||||
| Independent | Margaret Paterson (incumbent) | 15.0 | 698 | 833 | 863 | 871 | 1,033 | |||
| Conservative | Gavin Berkenheger | 14.0 | 650 | 659 | 688 | 691 | 701 | 715 | ||
| Independent | Sean Edward Kennedy | 12.9 | 599 | 663 | 694 | 697 | 741 | 790 | 1,136 | |
| Labour | Les Hood | 4.7 | 216 | 249 | ||||||
| Scottish Green | Thomas Widrow | 4.5 | 210 | 366 | 399 | 401 | ||||
| Electorate: 10,385 Valid: 4,640 Spoilt: 60 Quota: 929 Turnout: 45.3% | ||||||||||
Black Isle edit
The SNP and the Liberal Democrats retained the seats they had won at the previous election while independent candidate Sarah Atkin gained a seat from former independent councillor Jennifer Barclay.
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||||
| SNP | Lyndsey Johnston | 24.9 | 1,171 | 1,199 | |||||||
| Liberal Democrats | Morven-May MacCallum | 15.7 | 739 | 826 | 829 | 869 | 927 | 1,146 | 1,153 | 1,494 | |
| Conservative | Theo Stratton | 14.7 | 695 | 703 | 703 | 727 | 774 | 789 | 791 | ||
| Independent | Sarah Atkin | 13.4 | 634 | 660 | 661 | 769 | 947 | 1,195 | |||
| Scottish Green | Anne Thomas | 13.2 | 624 | 646 | 655 | 682 | 713 | ||||
| Independent | Okain John McLennan | 6.7 | 317 | 338 | 339 | 402 | |||||
| Independent | Bev Smith | 6.1 | 286 | 298 | 298 | ||||||
| Labour | Margaret Bryant | 5.1 | 243 | ||||||||
| Electorate: 8,842 Valid: 4,709 Spoilt: 43 Quota: 1,178 Turnout: 53.7% | |||||||||||
Eilean a' Cheò edit
The SNP and independent candidate John Finlayson retained the seats they had won at the previous election while the Conservatives and independent candidate Calum Munro gained seats from former independent councillors John Gordon and Ronald McDonald. Cllr Munro was previously elected to represent the ward following a by-election in 2020 triggered by the resignation of former independent councillor Ronald McDonald.[14]
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||||
| Independent | John Finlayson (incumbent) | 32.1 | 1,450 | |||||||||
| SNP | Drew Millar | 22.6 | 1,019 | |||||||||
| Independent | Calum Munro (incumbent) | 12.9 | 583 | 792 | 813 | 838 | 928 | |||||
| Conservative | Ruraidh Stewart | 10.7 | 485 | 521 | 522 | 535 | 538 | 539 | 595 | 654 | 806 | |
| Independent | Fay Thomson | 5.7 | 258 | 339 | 348 | 372 | 409 | 416 | 464 | 632 | ||
| Independent | Donald MacDonald | 5.3 | 240 | 319 | 329 | 342 | 369 | 376 | 429 | |||
| Alba | Hector MacLeod | 3.7 | 166 | 185 | 208 | 211 | ||||||
| Liberal Democrats | Jack Clark | 3.5 | 157 | 188 | 196 | 258 | 271 | 273 | ||||
| Labour | Peter Ó Donnghaile | 3.5 | 157 | 180 | 189 | |||||||
| Electorate: 8,912 Valid: 4,515 Spoilt: 56 Quota: 904 Turnout: 51.3% | ||||||||||||
Caol and Mallaig edit
The Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives and the Greens were elected unopposed. This resulted in gains from the SNP and former independent councillors Allan Henderson and Ben Thompson.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish Green | Andrew Baldrey | Unopposed | |||
| Liberal Democrats | John Colin Grafton | Unopposed | |||
| Conservative | Liz Saggers | Unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | |||||
Source:[52]
Aird and Loch Ness edit
The SNP and the Conservatives retained the seats they had won at the previous election while the Greens and independent candidate David Fraser gained seats from independent former councillors Margaret Davidson and Helen Carmichael. Cllr Fraser was previously elected to represent the ward following a by-election in 2021 triggered by the death of former Conservative councillor George Cruikshank.[15]
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||||
| SNP | Emma Knox (incumbent) | 26.2 | 1,364 | |||||||
| Independent | David Fraser (incumbent) | 22.7 | 1,182 | |||||||
| Conservative | Helen Crawford | 21.1 | 1,099 | |||||||
| Scottish Green | Chris Ballance | 10.2 | 528 | 706 | 727 | 730 | 783 | 924 | 1,165 | |
| Independent | Aarron Duncan-MacLeod | 8.3 | 430 | 471 | 535 | 556 | 596 | 774 | ||
| Liberal Democrats | Holly Kingham | 6.6 | 342 | 369 | 385 | 398 | 523 | |||
| Labour | Michael Perera | 4.9 | 253 | 276 | 286 | 291 | ||||
| Electorate: 10,213 Valid: 5,198 Spoilt: 57 Quota: 1,040 Turnout: 51.5% | ||||||||||
Inverness West edit
- 2017: 1 SNP; 1 Lib Dem; 1 Independent
- Pre-election: 2 Lib Dem; 1 SNP
- 2022: 1 SNP; 1 Lib Dem; 1 Green
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||||
| Liberal Democrats | Alex Graham (incumbent) | 34.20% | 1,198 | |||||||||
| SNP | Bill Boyd (incumbent) | 31.17% | 1,092 | |||||||||
| Conservative | Ryan Forbes | 9.33% | 327 | 378.3 | 383.1 | 384.9 | 390.3 | 403.5 | 454.1 | 538.6 | ||
| Labour | Shaun Alexander Fraser | 8.42% | 295 | 361.1 | 389.2 | 389.4 | 401.9 | 409.6 | 453.8 | |||
| Scottish Green | Ryan MacKintosh | 7.48% | 262 | 299.4 | 381.6 | 385.3 | 416.0 | 448.1 | 483.3 | 597.3 | 690.4 | |
| Independent | Duncan McDonald | 4.94% | 173 | 226.8 | 235.7 | 236.9 | 247.8 | 286.3 | ||||
| Independent | Helen Smith | 2.85% | 100 | 121.0 | 126.9 | 130.5 | 137.5 | |||||
| ISP | Iain Forsyth | 1.31% | 46 | 55.7 | 96.0 | 97.3 | ||||||
| Independent | David Sansum | 0.29% | 10 | 15.1 | 17.1 | |||||||
| Electorate: 8,495 Valid: 3,503 Spoilt: 42 Quota: 876 Turnout: 41.7% | ||||||||||||
Inverness Central edit
- 2017: 1 SNP; 1 Labour; 1 Independent
- Pre-election: 1 SNP; 1 Labour; 1 Independent
- 2022: 2 SNP; 1 Labour
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ||||
| Labour | Bet McAllister (incumbent) | 24.13% | 793 | 793 | 805 | 811 | 840 | ||||||
| SNP | Michael Cameron | 23.40% | 769 | 770 | 772 | 773 | 796 | 797.4 | 809.6 | 867.9 | |||
| SNP | Kate MacLean | 17.92% | 589 | 589 | 591 | 593 | 612 | 614.0 | 628.2 | 766.7 | 807.4 | 867.7 | |
| Conservative | Donald MacKenzie | 12.78% | 420 | 421 | 424 | 437 | 455 | 457.1 | 510.3 | 526.6 | 527.5 | ||
| Scottish Green | Arun Sharma | 7.46% | 245 | 250 | 258 | 262 | 292 | 293.8 | 347.7 | ||||
| Liberal Democrats | Martin Rattray | 6.42% | 211 | 211 | 212 | 218 | 229 | 234.5 | |||||
| Independent | Andrew Barnett | 4.29% | 141 | 152 | 162 | 173 | |||||||
| TUSC | Sean Robertson | 1.43% | 47 | 47 | |||||||||
| Scottish Family | John William McColl | 1.37% | 45 | 50 | 54 | ||||||||
| Independent | Luigi Andrew MacKinnon | 0.79% | 26 | ||||||||||
| Electorate: 8,647 Valid: 3,286 Spoilt: 76 Quota: 822 Turnout: 38.9% | |||||||||||||
Inverness Ness-side edit
- 2017: 1 SNP; 1 Lib Dem; 1 Conservative
- Pre-election: 1 Lib Dem; 1 Conservative; 1 Independent
- 2022: 1 SNP; 1 Lib Dem; 1 Labour
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||||
| Liberal Democrats | Alasdair Christie (incumbent) | 44.50% | 1,934 | |||||||
| SNP | Jackie Hendry | 29.22% | 1,270 | |||||||
| Conservative | Ric Scott | 8.72% | 379 | 562.1 | 564.1 | 567.0 | 574.5 | 672.0 | ||
| Labour | Andrew MacKintosh | 6.35% | 276 | 453.4 | 482.0 | 490.3 | 606.5 | 782.4 | 1,016.3 | |
| Independent | Ron MacWilliam (incumbent) | 5.59% | 243 | 404.2 | 424.8 | 431.6 | 532.7 | |||
| Scottish Green | Claire MacLean | 5.20% | 226 | 320.2 | 405.5 | 410.5 | ||||
| Libertarian | Calum Mark Liptrot | 0.41% | 18 | 29.8 | 33.3 | |||||
| Electorate: 8,857 Valid: 4,346 Spoilt: 33 Quota: 1,087 Turnout: 49.4% | ||||||||||
Inverness Millburn edit
- 2017: 1 SNP; 1 Labour; 1 Conservative
- Pre-election: 1 SNP; 1 Labour; 1 Conservative
- 2022: 1 SNP; 1 Lib Dem; 1 Conservative
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||
| SNP | Ian Brown (incumbent) | 40.76% | 1,430 | ||||
| Liberal Democrats | David Gregg | 23.80% | 835 | 1,009.1 | |||
| Conservative | Isabelle MacKenzie (incumbent) | 21.58% | 757 | 781.7 | 818.6 | 1,101.4 | |
| Labour | Lewis Whyte | 13.85% | 486 | 657.8 | 722.3 | ||
| Electorate: 7,602 Valid: 3,508 Spoilt: 45 Quota: 878 Turnout: 46.7% | |||||||
Culloden and Ardersier edit
- 2017: 1 SNP; 1 Lib Dem; 1 Independent
- Pre-election: 1 SNP; 1 Lib Dem; 1 Independent
- 2022: 1 SNP; 1 Lib Dem; 1 Independent
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||||
| SNP | Glynis Campbell-Sinclair (incumbent) | 37.61% | 1,542 | ||||||
| Conservative | Mary Scanlon | 17.85% | 732 | 743.0 | 745.0 | 753.4 | 805.1 | ||
| Independent | Morven Reid | 15.27% | 626 | 721.0 | 740.4 | 831.2 | 960.0 | 1,148.0 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Trish Robertson (incumbent) | 15.27% | 626 | 693.9 | 695.9 | 727.7 | 931.8 | 1,298.1 | |
| Labour | Steven Calvert | 10.07% | 413 | 505.4 | 507.0 | 545.1 | |||
| Alba | Mya Chemonges-Murzynowska | 3.34% | 137 | 244.4 | 245.1 | ||||
| Independent | Mel Robertson | 0.59% | 24 | 31.4 | |||||
| Electorate: 9,107 Valid: 4,100 Spoilt: 40 Quota: 1,026 Turnout: 45.5% | |||||||||
Nairn and Cawdor edit
- 2017: 2 Independent; 1 SNP; 1 Conservative
- Pre-election: 3 Independent; 1 Conservative
- 2022: 2 Independent; 1 SNP; 1 Conservative
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||||
| SNP | Paul Oldham | 27.17% | 1,401 | ||||||||
| Independent | Laurie Fraser (incumbent) | 23.56% | 1,215 | ||||||||
| Independent | Michael Green | 16.62% | 857 | 929.2 | 1,015.8 | 1,024.5 | 1,054.1 | ||||
| Conservative | Barbara Babs Jarvie | 16.21% | 836 | 840.2 | 861.3 | 866.1 | 872.2 | 875.5 | 914.0 | 1,161.6 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Kevin James Reid | 10.47% | 540 | 609.3 | 631.6 | 640.3 | 666.3 | 671.9 | 783.8 | ||
| Independent | Kevin Brooks | 3.72% | 192 | 229.9 | 254.0 | 263.0 | 294.9 | 301.8 | |||
| Alba | Marjory Smith | 1.49% | 77 | 142.8 | 145.9 | 151.9 | |||||
| Scottish Family | Cal MacLeod | 0.74% | 38 | 48.5 | 50.3 | ||||||
| Electorate: 10,721 Valid: 5,156 Spoilt: 62 Quota: 1,032 Turnout: 48.7% | |||||||||||
Inverness South edit
- 2017: 1 SNP; 1 Lib Dem; 1 Conservative; 1 Independent
- Pre-election: 1 SNP; 1 Lib Dem; 1 Conservative; 1 Independent
- 2022: 1 SNP; 1 Lib Dem; 1 Conservative; 1 Independent
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||||
| SNP | Ken Gowans (incumbent) | 35.16% | 1,949 | ||||||
| Independent | Duncan MacPherson (incumbent) | 24.81% | 1,375 | ||||||
| Conservative | Andrew Sinclair[note 9] | 16.89% | 936 | 949.8 | 1,007.6 | 1,017.2 | 1,073.9 | 1,096.1 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Colin Aitken[note 10]†† | 8.62% | 478 | 550.0 | 618.3 | 640.8 | 868.2 | 1,228.6 | |
| Labour | David Jardine | 7.25% | 402 | 502.0 | 536.4 | 557.6 | |||
| Scottish Green | Claire Filer | 5.39% | 299 | 597.2 | 628.4 | 724.5 | 841.3 | ||
| Alba | Jimmy Duncan | 1.88% | 104 | 216.5 | 225.6 | ||||
| Electorate: 12,571 Valid: 5,543 Spoilt: 37 Quota: 1,109 Turnout: 44.4% | |||||||||
Badenoch and Strathspey edit
- 2017: 1 SNP; 1 Conservative; 1 Green; 1 Independent
- Pre-election: 1 SNP; 1 Conservative; 1 Green; 1 Independent
- 2022: 2 Independent; 1 SNP; 1 Conservative
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||||
| Independent | Russell Jones | 23.15% | 1,280 | ||||||||
| SNP | Muriel Cockburn (incumbent) | 16.02% | 886 | 900.1 | 914.3 | 1,210.0 | |||||
| Conservative | John Bruce (incumbent) | 15.57% | 861 | 878.9 | 899.4 | 906.4 | 907.9 | 1,043.8 | 1,051.1 | 1,217.6 | |
| Independent | Bill Lobban (incumbent) | 15.23% | 842 | 895.1 | 946.9 | 962.3 | 978.4 | 1,133.3 | |||
| Scottish Green | Pippa Hadley (incumbent) | 10.27% | 568 | 593.3 | 624.8 | 655.1 | 702.7 | 850.5 | 858.3 | ||
| Liberal Democrats | Declan Gallacher | 8.84% | 489 | 503.1 | 575.6 | 596.3 | 605.4 | ||||
| SNP | Dave Fallows | 6.71% | 371 | 381.7 | 397.9 | ||||||
| Labour | Charlie Whelan | 4.20% | 232 | 241.7 | |||||||
| Electorate: 10,899 Valid: 5,529 Spoilt: 92 Quota: 1,106 Turnout: 51.6% | |||||||||||
Fort William and Ardnamurchan edit
- 2017: 2 SNP; 1 Conservative; 1 Independent
- Pre-election: 3 SNP; 1 Conservative
- 2022: 1 SNP; 1 Lib Dem; 1 Green; 1 Independent
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||
| Liberal Democrats | Angus MacDonald | 37.47% | 1,500 | ||||
| SNP | Sarah Fanet (incumbent) | 33.50% | 1,341 | ||||
| Conservative | Fiona Fawcett | 10.09% | 404 | 551.7 | 570.6 | ||
| Scottish Green | Kate Willis | 9.62% | 385 | 500.6 | 798.6 | 837.6 | |
| Independent | Thomas MacLennan | 9.32% | 373 | 640.5 | 724.6 | 1,057.4 | |
| Electorate: 9,021 Valid: 4,003 Spoilt: 53 Quota: 801 Turnout: 45% | |||||||
Aftermath edit
For the first time, a political party won the most seats in a Highland Council election.[23] The SNP maintained the 22 seats they had won at the previous election – enough to leapfrog the total number of independent councillors elected which fell from 28 to 21.[20] As a result, the SNP group formed a coalition with independent councillors to run the council. SNP group leader, Cllr Raymond Bremner, was elected as council leader - the first person from Caithness and the first fluent Gaelic speaker to hold the role – while independent group leader Cllr Bill Lobban was elected as convener.[56]
In February 2024, Thurso and North West Caithness SNP councillor Karl Rosie resigned from the party citing the party's "incoherent independence strategy".[31] He later joined the Alba Party in March 2024.[32]
Tain and Easter Ross by-election edit
Tain and Easter Ross Liberal Democrat councillor Sarah Rawlings resigned in June 2023.[43] A by-election was held on 28 September 2023 with independent Maureen Ross elected.[57] Cllr Ross has joined the Highland Independent grouping on the council.[58]
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||||
| Independent | Maureen Ross | 41.49% | 1,022 | 1,025 | 1,033 | 1,058 | 1,131 | 1,312 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Charles Stephen | 24.48% | 603 | 605 | 618 | 644 | 705 | 801 | |
| SNP | Gordon Allison | 18.84% | 464 | 467 | 491 | 506 | 514 | ||
| Conservative | Veronica Morrison | 8.40% | 207 | 210 | 210 | 216 | |||
| Labour | Michael Perera | 3.57% | 88 | 90 | 96 | ||||
| Scottish Green | Andrew Barnett | 2.27% | 56 | 58 | |||||
| Libertarian | Harry Christian | 0.93% | 23 | ||||||
| Electorate: 7,226 Valid: 2,463 Spoilt: 25 Quota: 1,232 Turnout: 24.4% | |||||||||
Inverness South by-election edit
Inverness South Liberal Democrat councillor Colin Aitken resigned in February 2024.[59] A by-election held on 11 April 2024 was won by independent candidate Duncan Cameron McDonald.
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||||
| Independent | Duncan Cameron McDonald | 21.9 | 730 | 740 | 768 | 798 | 872 | 1,050 | 1,247 | 1,800 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Chartier | 19.6 | 652 | 658 | 665 | 699 | 834 | 1,065 | 1,235 | ||
| SNP | Gordon Shanks | 19.2 | 641 | 647 | 679 | 778 | 830 | 838 | |||
| Conservative | Ryan Forbes | 16.0 | 533 | 535 | 541 | 551 | 595 | ||||
| Labour | Ron Stevenson | 10.9 | 364 | 365 | 370 | 404 | |||||
| Scottish Green | Arun Sharma | 7.1 | 237 | 237 | 246 | ||||||
| Alba | Jimmy Duncan | 3.2 | 107 | 112 | |||||||
| Sovereignty | Andrew Macdonald | 1.2 | 41 | ||||||||
| Electorate: 12,664 Valid: 3,305 Spoilt: 20 Quota: 1,653 Turnout: 26.3% | |||||||||||
Notes edit
- ^ Excludes uncontested ward.
- ^ For the administration group
- ^ a b 23 in the administration group, 3 Highland Matters, 1 Sutherland Independent, and 1 non-aligned.
- ^ Scottish Gaelic for Isle of Skye.
- ^ Cllr Rosie resigned from the SNP in February 2024 to sit as an independent.[31] He later joined the Alba Party.[32]
- ^ Sitting councillor for Inverness South.
- ^ Sitting councillor for Fort William and Ardnamurchan.
- ^ Cllr Rawlings resigned in June 2023.[43]
- ^ Sitting councillor for Wick and East Caithness.
- ^ Sitting councillor for Inverness West.
References edit
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- ^ a b c d Teale, Andrew. "Local Elections Archive Project - 2017 - Highland". Retrieved 25 March 2024.
- ^ "Independent, Lib Dem, Labour coalition to run Highland". BBC News. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- ^ "Notice of Election". The Highland Council. 14 March 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ "Isle of Skye councillor found guilty of abuse charge". West Highland Free Press. 16 March 2018. Archived from the original on 26 March 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
- ^ a b MacAulay, Susy (17 September 2020). "Three SNP councillors step down from party citing deep divisions within the Highland group". Press and Journal. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ a b c "Veteran Highland councillor quits administration to join the Tories". Ross-shire Journal. 16 June 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ MacLennan, Scott (3 July 2020). "Highland Council independent group kicks out councillor for being 'too independent'". Inverness Courier. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ "Bitter row as SNP councillor resigns from party group". Highland News. 7 September 2017. Archived from the original on 20 September 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
- ^ a b Henderson, Michelle (30 September 2017). "Alasdair Rhind re-elected for Tain and Easter Ross". Press and Journal. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ MacLennan, Scott (7 April 2018). "Liberal Democrat Denis Rixson wins Highland Council by-election". Press and Journal. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ MacAulay, Susy (8 December 2018). "SNP notch up victory over Tories in Highland by-election battle". Press and Journal. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ MacLennan, Scott (15 November 2019). "SNP candidate Emma Roddick wins Inverness Central ward by-election to become new Highland councillor". Inverness Courier. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ a b MacAulay, Susy (13 March 2020). "Calum Munro elected to serve Skye and Raasay as Independent councillor". Press and Journal. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ a b MacLennan, Scott (12 March 2021). "Independent candidate David Fraser is elected to represent the vacant Highland Council seat in super-close contest". Ross-shire Journal. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ MacLennan, Scott (13 August 2021). "Liberal Democrats delight at winning twin Highland Council by-elections as newly elected Councillor Colin Aitken becomes the second youngest member". Inverness Courier. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ Scott, Fiona (7 December 2021). "Sarah is ready to roll out the welcome mat after by-election victory". The Oban Times. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ Sinclair, Nicola (27 October 2021). "Lochaber councillor Ben Thompson announces resignation". Press and Journal. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ Wilson, Donald (24 February 2022). "Highland Council colleagues pay tribute to 'a man of kindness and courage' Tom Heggie". Ross-shire Journal. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
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- ^ a b
- For the result of the 1995 election, see Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael (1995). Local Elections Handbook 1995 (PDF). Plymouth: Local Government Chronicle Elections Centre, University of Plymouth. ISBN 0-948858-19-2. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- For the result of the 1999 election, see Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael (1999). Local Elections Handbook 1999 (PDF). Plymouth: Local Government Chronicle Elections Centre, University of Plymouth. ISBN 0-948858-25-7. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- For the result of the 2003 election, see Teale, Andrew. "Local Elections Archive Project - 2003 - Highland". Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- For the result of the 2007 election, see Teale, Andrew. "Local Elections Archive Project - 2007 - Highland". Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- For the result of the 2012 election, see Teale, Andrew. "Local Elections Archive Project - 2012 - Highland". Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- For the result of the 2017 election, see Teale, Andrew. "Local Elections Archive Project - 2017 - Highland". Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ Bhadani, Anita (31 March 2022). "'Threat to local democracy' as councillors elected without votes". The National. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
- ^ Learmonth, Andrew (31 March 2022). "Eighteen councillors already elected in Scotland's local elections". The Herald. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
- ^ Bowie, Justin; Philip, Andy (1 April 2022). "18 councillors are already elected ahead of May vote – here's why you should be alarmed". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
- ^ Faulds, Allan. "The Local STV Voting System Explained". Ballot Box Scotland. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
- ^ "Single Transferable Vote". Electoral Reform Society. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
- ^ "2022 local government election results Ward 1 North, West and Central Sutherland Report - declaration of results". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 local government election results Ward 1 North, West and Central Sutherland Report - candidate votes per stage". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ^ a b Hendry, Alan (14 February 2024). "Caithness councillor resigns from SNP after feeling 'increasingly disillusioned'". Northern Times. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ^ a b Hendry, Alan (7 March 2024). "Highland councillor calls for 'meaningful change' as he joins Alba Party". Inverness Courier. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 local government election results Ward 2 Thurso and Northwest Caithness Report - declaration of results". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 local government election results Ward 2 Thurso and Northwest Caithness Report - candidate votes per stage". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 local government election results Ward 3 Wick and East Caithness Report - declaration of results". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 local government election results Ward 3 Wick and East Caithness Report - candidates votes per stage". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 local government election results Ward 4 East Sutherland and Edderton Report - declaration of results". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 local government election results Ward 4 East Sutherland and Edderton Report - candidates votes per stage". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 local government election results Ward 5 Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh Report - declaration of results". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 local government election results Ward 5 Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh Report - candidate votes per stage". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 local government election results Ward 6 Cromarty Firth Report - declaration of results". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 local government election results Ward 6 Cromarty Firth Report - candidate votes per stage". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
- ^ a b "Resignation of Ross-shire councillor in Tain ward triggers by-election timetable". Ross-shire Journal. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "2022 local government election results Ward 7 Tain and Easter Ross Report - declaration of results". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 local government election results Ward 7 Tain and Easter Ross Report - candidate votes per stage". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 local government election results Ward 8 Dingwall and Seaforth Report - declaration of results". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 local government election results Ward 8 Dingwall and Seaforth Report - candidates votes per stage". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 local government election results Ward 9 Black Isle Report - declaration of results". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 local government election results Ward 9 Black Isle Report - candidate votes per stage". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 local government election results Ward 10 Eilean a' Cheò Report - declaration of results". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 local government election results Ward 10 Eilean a' Cheò Report - transfers". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 Local Government elections results". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 local government election results Ward 12 Aird and Loch Ness Report - declaration of results". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 local government election results Ward 12 Aird and Loch Ness Report - candidates votes per stage". Highland Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "2022 Local Government elections results". The Highland Council. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
- ^ "SNP-independent coalition control Highland Council". BBC. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ a b "The Highland Council By-Election Election of Councillor Ward 7 – Tain and Easter Ross". The Highland Council. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
- ^ "Councillors". The Highland Council. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ MacLennon, Scott (12 February 2024). "Inverness South Liberal Democrat Councillor Colin Aitken resigns from Highland Council". Inverness Courier. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "Ward 19 (Inverness South) By-Election Results 2024 Candidate_Votes_Per_Stage_Report_Ward-19". Highland Council. 12 April 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "Ward 19 (Inverness South) By-Election Results 2024 Declaration_Of_Results_Report_Ward 19". Highland Council. 12 April 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.