Liberal Democrat Liam McArthur has become the first MSP to be returned to the Scottish Parliament, winning a record 70% of the vote in Orkney. This is the highest vote share in Holyrood's history.
However, the Liberal Democrats lost the Shetland seat, which they had held since 1999, to the SNP. Hannah Goodlad won 47% of the vote there, defeating Liberal Democrat candidate Emma Macdonald.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said he was “thrilled to see Liam McArthur returning to the Scottish Parliament with the biggest share of the vote in the history of Holyrood”.
The Orkney and Shetland seats were the first of 73 constituencies to declare results. Counting took place the day after polling, with results from other constituencies expected later on Friday.
The SNP is aiming for a fifth consecutive win, while Scottish Labour faces challenges from the unpopularity of the UK Government and the rise of Reform UK, which could become the second-largest party in Holyrood.
