Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch
County constituency for the Scottish Parliament
Electorate	67,222 (2022) [1]
Current constituency
Created	2011
Party	Scottish National Party
MSP	Kate Forbes
Council area	Highland
Created from	Ross, Skye & Inverness West, Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber

Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament 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, as well as eight constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole. ^[2]

The seat was created for the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, and replaced most of the former constituency of Ross, Skye and Inverness West and part of the former Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber constituency. The remaining portions of the two former seats (consisting mostly of the less rural area surrounding and including Inverness) was moved into a new seat called Inverness and Nairn.

The seat has been held by Kate Forbes of the Scottish National Party since the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.

Electoral region

See also: Highlands and Islands (Scottish Parliament electoral region)

The Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency constituency is one of eight forming the Highlands and Islands electoral region. The other seven constituencies in the region are Argyll and Bute, Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Inverness and Nairn, Moray, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Orkney, and Shetland. ^[2] 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. ^[3]

Constituency boundaries and council area

The Highland council area is represented in the Scottish Parliament by three constituencies: Caithness, Sutherland and Ross; Inverness and Nairn; and Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch. ^[4] When first formed ahead of the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, the following electoral wards of the Highland Council were used to define the constituency of Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch:

• In full: Dingwall and Seaforth; Black Isle; Eilean a’ Cheò; Caol and Mallaig; Aird and Loch Ness; Fort William and Ardnamurchan
• In part: Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh; Badenoch and Strathspey

At the second periodic review of Scottish Parliament boundaries in 2025 the seat boundaries were slightly altered, with the Badenoch and Strathspey ward being 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 Highland Council wards were used to redefine the seat at this review: ^[8]

• Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh (shared with Caithness, Sutherland and Ross)
• Dingwall and Seaforth (entire ward)
• Black Isle (entire ward)
• Eilean a' Cheò (entire ward)
• Caol and Mallaig (entire ward)
• Aird and Loch Ness (shared with Inverness and Nairn)
• Badenoch and Strathspey (entire ward)
• Fort William and Ardnamurchan (entire ward)

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	2011	Dave Thompson	Scottish National Party
	2016	Kate Forbes

Election results

Skye, Lochaber & Badenoch election results 1999-2021

Elections in the 2020s

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch ^[9]

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Kate Forbes [a]	24,192	56.1	8.5	18,220	42.0	1.2
	Conservative	Jamie Halcro Johnston [b]	8,331	19.3	3.2	9,718	22.4	2.4
	Liberal Democrats	Denis Rixson	6,778	15.7	7.1	4,244	9.8	5.0
	Labour	John Erskine	3,855	8.9	1.6	4,001	9.2	0.6
	Green					3,985	9.2	0.0
	Independent	Andy Wightman [c]				1,199	2.8	New
	Alba					789	1.8	New
	Scottish Family					305	0.7	New
	All for Unity					281	0.6	New
	Freedom Alliance (UK)					117	0.3	New
	UKIP					95	0.2	2.3
	Abolish the Scottish Parliament					80	0.2	New
	Reform					78	0.2	New
	Scottish Libertarian					72	0.2	New
	Restore Scotland					71	0.2	New
	Independent	Hazel Mansfield				68	0.2	New
	TUSC					49	0.1	New
Majority			15,861	36.8	12.0
Valid Votes			43,156			43,372
Invalid Votes			218			64
Turnout			43,374	68.7	7.2	43,436	68.8	7.2
	SNP hold		Swing		5.9
Notes Incumbent member for this constituency Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency Incumbent member on the list for Lothian region, having been elected as a member of the Scottish Greens in 2016

This was the largest numerical majority at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.

2010s

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch ^[10]

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Kate Forbes	17,362	47.6	1.4	14,964	40.8	5.1
	Liberal Democrats	Angela MacLean	8,319	22.8	7.7	5,405	14.8	3.7
	Conservative	Robbie Munro	5,887	16.1	7.2	7,327	20.0	10.7
	Labour	Linda Stewart	3,821	10.5	2.4	3,580	9.8	1.4
	Independent	Ronnie Campbell	1,116	3.1	1.6
	Green					3,362	9.2	2.7
	UKIP					922	2.5	0.7
	Scottish Christian					548	1.5	0.7
	Independent	James Stockan				229	0.6	New
	RISE					179	0.5	New
	Solidarity					123	0.3	0.2
Majority			9,043	24.8	9.1
Valid Votes			36,505			36,639
Invalid Votes			139			46
Turnout			36,644	61.5	5.3	36,685	61.6	5.3
	SNP hold		Swing		4.6

2011 Scottish Parliament election: Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	David Thompson [a]	14,737	46.2	N/A	14,680	45.9	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Alan MacRae	9,742	30.5	N/A	5,909	18.5	N/A
	Labour	Linda Stewart	4,112	12.9	N/A	3,584	11.2	N/A
	Conservative	Kerensa Carr	2,834	8.9	N/A	2,968	9.3	N/A
	Independent	Ronnie Campbell	490	1.5	N/A
	Green					2,064	6.5	N/A
	Scottish Christian					689	2.2	N/A
	UKIP					585	1.8	N/A
	All-Scotland Pensioners Party					378	1.2	N/A
	Socialist Labour					253	0.8	N/A
	BNP					175	0.5	N/A
	Scottish Socialist					70	0.2	N/A
	Solidarity					19	0.1	N/A
	Others					613	1.9	N/A
Majority			4,995	15.7	N/A
Valid Votes			31,915			31,987
Invalid Votes			154			116
Turnout			32,069	56.2	N/A	32,103	56.3	N/A
	SNP win (new seat)
Notes Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency

Notes and references

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 28.
3. Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 143.
4. Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 141-142.
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. Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 141.
9. "Scottish Parliamentary Elections 2021 Results". The Highland Council. Retrieved 15 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. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
11. "Results and turnout at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election". The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 15 June 2021.

Bibliography

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

External links

• "Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency map (2025 boundaries)" (PDF). Boundaries Scotland . Retrieved 11 November 2025.
• "Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency map (2011 boundaries)" (PDF). Boundaries Scotland . Retrieved 15 June 2021.