Caithness, Sutherland and Ross (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Caithness, Sutherland and Ross
county constituency for the Scottish Parliament
150px
Caithness, Sutherland and Ross shown within the Highlands and Islands electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Current constituency
Created	2011
Party	Scottish National Party
MSP	Gail Ross
Council area	Highland

Caithness, Sutherland and Ross is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. 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, in addition to eight constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

For the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, Caithness, Sutherland and Ross replaced Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross and part of Ross, Skye and Inverness West.

Electoral region

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

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

The eight constituencies of the Highlands and Islands electoral region cover 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 re-drawn Caithness, Sutherland and Ross are:

• In full: North, West and Central Sutherland; Thurso; Wick; Landward Caithness; East Sutherland and Edderton; Cromarty Firth; Tain and Easter Ross
• In part: Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh (shared with Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch)

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	2011	Rob Gibson	Scottish National Party
	2016	Gail Ross

Election results

2016 Scottish Parliament Election

Scottish Parliament election, 2016: Caithness, Sutherland and Ross

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Gail Ross	13,937	43.3	-5.1
	Liberal Democrats	Jamie Stone	10,024	31.1	+8.8
	Conservative	Struan Mackie	4,912	15.3	+5.0
	Labour	Leah Franchetti	3,334	10.4	-8.7
Majority			3,913	12.2
Turnout				58.4
	SNP hold		Swing

2011 Scottish Parliament Election

Scottish Parliament election, 2011: Caithness, Sutherland and Ross

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Rob Gibson	13,843	48.4	+16.6
	Liberal Democrats	Robbie Rowantree	6,385	22.3	-18.1
	Labour	John MacKay	5,438	19.0	+5.8
	Conservative	Edward Mountain	2,934	10.3	-0.8
Majority			7,458	26.1
Turnout			28,600	51.4
	SNP gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing

Scottish Parliament election, 2007 Notional Result: Caithness, Sutherland and Ross

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats		12,030	40.4
	SNP		9,480	31.9
	Labour		3,942	13.2
	Conservative		3,288	11.0
	Others		1,023	3.4
Majority			2,550	8.6
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing