Inverness and Nairn (Scottish Parliament constituency) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Inverness and Nairn
county constituency for the Scottish Parliament
Inverness and Nairn shown within the Highlands and Islands electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Population	89,755 (2019)
Current constituency
Created	2011
Party	Scottish National Party
MSP	Fergus Ewing
Council area	Highland
Created from	Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber, Ross, Skye & Inverness West

Inverness and Nairn is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) covering part of the Highland council area. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post method of election. It is also one of eight constituencies in the Highlands and Islands electoral region, which elects seven additional members, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

The seat was first created for the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, and covers parts of the former seats of Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber and Ross, Skye & Inverness West. Since being formed it has been held by Fergus Ewing of the Scottish National Party, who was previously the member for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber.

Electoral region

The Inverness and Nairn constituency is part of the Highlands and Islands electoral region; the other seven constituencies are Argyll and Bute, Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Moray, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Orkney, Shetland and Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch.

The region covers most of Argyll and Bute council area, all of the Highland council area, most of the Moray council area, all of the Orkney Islands council area, all of the Shetland Islands council area and all of Na h-Eileanan Siar.

Constituency boundaries and council area

The Highland (council area) is represented in the Scottish Parliament by three constituencies. These are: Caithness, Sutherland and Ross; Inverness and Nairn and Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch.

The electoral wards used to create the new Inverness and Nairn seat are:

• In full: Inverness West; Inverness Central; Inverness Ness-Side; Inverness Millburn; Inverness South; Culloden and Ardersier; Nairn and Cawdor
• In part: Badenoch and Strathspey

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Election results

Inverness & Nairn election results 1999-2021

2020s

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Inverness and Nairn

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Fergus Ewing	21,793	47.7	0.6	19,688	43.0	0.9
	Conservative	Edward Mountain	12,679	27.7	7.7	12,045	26.3	4.6
	Labour	Rhoda Grant	5,370	11.7	5.8	5,108	11.2	2.2
	Liberal Democrats	David Gregg	2,892	6.3	7.9	2,820	6.2	3.4
	Green	Ariane Burgess	2,636	5.8	New	3,392	7.4	0.8
	Alba Party					754	1.6	New
	Independent	Andy Wightman				661	1.4	New
	Scottish Family Party					335	0.7	New
	All for Unity					279	0.6	New
	Freedom Alliance (UK)					155	0.4	New
	Restore Scotland	Andrew MacDonald	361	0.8	New	130	0.3	N/A
	Abolish the Scottish Parliament Party					108	0.2	New
	Reform UK					100	0.2	New
	Scottish Libertarian Party					76	0.2	New
	UKIP					67	0.1	2.3
	Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition					52	0.1	New
	Independent	Hazel Mansfield				32	0.1	New
Majority			9,114	20.0	8.3
Valid Votes			45,731			45,802
Invalid Votes			137			79
Turnout			45,868	64.5	6.7	45,881	64.5	6.6
	SNP hold		Swing		4.2
Notes

2010s

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Inverness and Nairn

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Fergus Ewing	18,505	48.3	3.2	16,200	42.1	6.4
	Conservative	Edward Mountain	7,648	20.0	8.4	8,371	21.7	10.4
	Labour	David Stewart	6,719	17.5	4.3	5,162	13.4	4.4
	Liberal Democrats	Carolyn Caddick	5,445	14.2	2.7	3,688	9.6	0.1
	Green					3,146	8.2	3.3
	UKIP					916	2.4	1.0
	Scottish Christian Party					546	1.4	0.6
	Independent	James Stockan				174	0.4	New
	RISE					171	0.4	New
	Solidarity (Scotland)					142	0.4	0.3
Majority			10,857	28.3	1.4
Valid Votes			38,317			38,516
Invalid Votes			222			63
Turnout			38,539	57.8	5.0	38,579	57.9	5.1
	SNP hold		Swing		5.8
Notes