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Highlands and Islands (Scottish Parliament electoral region)

Highlands and Islands
electoral region
for the Scottish Parliament
Highlands and Islands (Scottish Parliament electoral region).svg
Highlands and Islands shown within Scotland
Current electoral region
Created 1999
MSPs Scottish National Party 7
Conservative 3
Liberal Democrats 2
Labour 2
Scottish Greens 1
Council areas Argyll and Bute (part)
Highland
Moray (part)
Na h-Eileanan Siar
Orkney Islands
Shetland Islands
Constituencies Argyll and Bute
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 which were 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. It has boundaries with the North East Scotland, Mid Scotland and Fife and the West Scotland electoral regions.

The most high-profile MSP for the region has been Winnie Ewing, the matriarch of the Ewing political family.

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.


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