Inverness and Nairn (Scottish Parliament constituency)

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
Electorate	65,464 (2022) [1]
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 county constituency of the Scottish Parliament covering part of the Highland council area. ^[2] It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post method of election. Under the additional-member electoral system used for elections to the Scottish Parliament, it is also one of eight constituencies in the Highlands and Islands electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to the eight constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole. ^[3] 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

See also: Highlands and Islands (Scottish Parliament 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. ^[3] 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. ^[4]

Constituency boundaries and council area

Map of boundaries (2011-2025)

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.

When first formed ahead of the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, the following electoral wards were used to define the seat:

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

At the second periodic review of Scottish Parliament boundaries in 2025 the seat boundaries were slightly altered, as the electorate had grown since the last review. To address this the Badenoch and Strathspey ward was transferred to Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch. ^[5] The main settlements in the area transferred were the villages of Grantown on Spey, Carrbridge, and Boat of Garten. ^{[6] [7]} The following wards were used to define the seat: ^[2]

• Inverness West (entire ward)
• Inverness Central (entire ward)
• Inverness Ness-Side (entire ward)
• Inverness Millburn (entire ward)
• Culloden and Ardersier (entire ward)
• Nairn and Cawdor (entire ward)
• Inverness South (entire ward)
• Aird and Loch Ness (shared with Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch)

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	2011	Fergus Ewing	SNP

Election results

Inverness & Nairn election results 1999-2021

2020s

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Inverness and Nairn ^{[8] [9]}

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Fergus Ewing [a]	21,793	47.7	0.6	19,688	43.0	0.9
	Conservative	Edward Mountain [b]	12,679	27.7	7.7	12,045	26.3	4.6
	Labour Co-op	Rhoda Grant [c] [b]	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					754	1.6	New
	Independent	Andy Wightman [d]				661	1.4	New
	Scottish Family					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					108	0.2	New
	Reform					100	0.2	New
	Scottish Libertarian					76	0.2	New
	UKIP					67	0.1	2.3
	TUSC					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 Incumbent member for this constituency Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency Grant stood on a joint ticket on behalf of Scottish Labour and the Scottish Co-operative Party. The regional list vote is for Scottish Labour only. Incumbent member on the list for Lothian region, having been elected as a member of the Scottish Greens in 2016

2010s

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Inverness and Nairn ^[10]

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Fergus Ewing [a]	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 [b]	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					546	1.4	0.6
	Independent	James Stockan				174	0.4	New
	RISE					171	0.4	New
	Solidarity					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 Incumbent member for this constituency Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency

2011 Scottish Parliament election: Inverness and Nairn ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Fergus Ewing [a]	16,870	51.5	N/A	15,859	48.5	N/A
	Labour	David Stewart [b]	7,125	21.8	N/A	5,809	17.8	N/A
	Conservative	Mary Scanlon [b]	3,797	11.6	N/A	3,684	11.3	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Christine Jardine	3,763	11.5	N/A	3,113	9.5	N/A
	Green					1,588	4.9	N/A
	Scottish Christian	Donald Boyd	646	2.0	N/A	669	2.0	N/A
	UKIP	Ross Durance	530	1.6	N/A	448	1.4	N/A
	All-Scotland Pensioners Party					405	1.2	N/A
	Socialist Labour					334	1.0	N/A
	BNP					162	0.5	N/A
	Scottish Socialist					84	0.3	N/A
	Solidarity					38	0.1	N/A
	Others					522	1.6	N/A
Majority			9,745	29.7	N/A
Valid Votes			32,731			32,715
Invalid Votes			99			99
Turnout			32,830	52.8	N/A	32,814	52.8	N/A
	SNP win (new seat)
Notes Incumbent member for the Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber constituency Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency

References

Citations

1. Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 27.
2. Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 141.
3. Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 28.
4. Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 143.
5. Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 113-118.
6. "Inverness and Nairn constituency map (2025 boundaries)" (PDF). Boundaries Scotland . Retrieved 11 November 2025.
7. "Inverness and Nairn constituency map (2011 boundaries)" (PDF). Boundaries Scotland . Retrieved 11 November 2025.
8. Tarrant, Sylvia. "Highland nominations for Scottish Parliamentary Election 2021". www.highland.gov.uk.
9. "Scottish Parliamentary Elections 2021 Results". The Highland Council. Archived from the original on 17 September 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
10. Council, The Highland. "The Highland Council download - Scottish Parliamentary election 2016 | Council and government | Politicians, elections and democracy | Elections and voting". www.highland.gov.uk.
11. "Results and turnout at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election". The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 14 June 2021.

Bibliography

• "Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers" (PDF). Boundaries Scotland. April 2025. Retrieved 11 November 2025.

External links

• "Inverness and Nairn constituency map (2025 boundaries)" (PDF). Boundaries Scotland . Retrieved 11 November 2025.
• "Inverness and Nairn constituency map (2011 boundaries)" (PDF). Boundaries Scotland . Retrieved 7 July 2021.