Current MSP: Mike Russell (SNP) [MSP website]
Party Candidate Votes +/– % +/–
SNP Mike Russell ^ 13390 +3476 50.6 +16.0
Conservative Jamie McGrigor ^ 4847 -697 18.3 -1.0
Labour Mick Rice 4041 -102 15.3 +0.8
Liberal Democrat Alison Hay 3220 -5887 12.2 -19.6
Independent George Doyle # 542 +542 2.0 +2.0
The Liberal Party George Alexander White # 436 +436 1.6 +1.6
Majority 8543 Turnout 26476 Swing +8.5% SNP hold
Jim Mather retired from Holyrood in 2011, freeing up the SNP candidacy for Mike Russell. An expected two-horse race with the Lib Dems never really materialised, with the Lib Dems ending up back in fourth place. Mike Russell thereby claimed a constituency seat for the first time at his fourth attempt.

Notes: Given boundary changes since 2007, variations in votes and share between seats with different boundaries would be misleading. We use the Denver figures, essentially a calculation of the 2007 votes cast within 2011 boundaries. More information on this here.

Symbols used:

* – Incumbent
^ – Challenger holding a list seat in previous Parliament
# – Lost deposit
National Central Scotland Glasgow Highlands & Islands Lothian Mid-Scotland & Fife North East Scotland South Scotland West Scotland
Argyll & Bute Caithness, Sutherland & Ross Inverness & Nairn Moray Na h’Eileanan an Iar Orkney Islands Shetland Islands Skye, Lochaber & Badenoch