Scottish Elections 2026 Live Reporting

2.50pm - BREAKING - It's a Labour win in the Western Isles. Donald MacKinnon takes the seat from the SNP with 4,665 votes.

2.45pm - Switching over to the Portal in Irvine, where constituency returning officer Craig Hatton has confirmed the turnout figures for Cunninghame North and Cunninghame South constituencies.

Again, there was a much lower turnout at this election than in 2021. In Cunninghame North, the figure fell from 64% to 53.6%, and in Cunninghame South, it dropped from 58% to just 49%.

Photograph: North Ayrshire Council

2.37pm - Fears over voter apathy continue as Na h-Eileanan an Iar recording its lowest ever turnout for a Scottish election.
Returning officer Malcolm Burr has declared that just 57% of the Western Isles electorate voted. This is down from 66.4% in 2021.
Na h-Eileanan an Iar has traditionally been a two-horse race between the SNP and Labour, but the picture from the count is that the gap between the two has narrowed.
There is also the impact of Reform, who have only previously fielded a candidate here in the 2024 General Election.
It is thought they are likely to have gained support locally, but where has that come from? Labour, the SNP or elsewhere, and what impact will that have on the result? Time will tell.

2.32pm - Our insider in situ in Inverness for the Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency count has provided an interesting update.

They told West Coast Today: "Verification is ongoing and sampling by the parties is ongoing, but it looks like it is nip and tuck between the SNP and the Liberal Democrats."

Let's see how this one plays out...

2.20pm - Conservative candidate Peter Wallace has spoken to West Coast Today about his feelings on his election campaign.

Mr Wallace, who was drafted in at short notice following the defection of Amanda Hampsey to Reform, said: "While the circumstances around my selection were far from ideal and very last minute, it has been good to be involved in this campaign to ensure the Conservative voice is part of it, and Conservative voters have someone to represent them."

Asked about his prospects of winning, Mr Wallace admitted that he was not confident.

He told us: "We won't go there, the piles are starting to tell their own story."

Mr Wallace has also been the leader of the council's Conservative group for the last few months.

He added: "We've got a good team that will work together now towards the local authority elections next year. "Currently our focus is on delivering real results for our constituents across Argyll and Bute."

1.30pm - The next round of ballot boxes is being dropped off at each counting station. It's almost time for the peach ballots for the regional list to be counted. But first, the election staff are finishing off their well-earned lunches. Photo: Kevin McGlynn

1.20pm - It's been a busy morning for our election team in Lochgilphead...find out what lies ahead for them here and here as they work towards the climax of the count.

12.45pm - As SNP excitement builds on the count floor at Lochgilphead Joint Campus, early nationwide indications appear to show one common pattern emerging – a reduction in voter turnout. The turnout in Shetland was down by 1% to 64%. In Orkney, it was down to 57%, and in Dundee it was at 46%. Kilmarnock was 50%. A similar pattern is also becoming apparent in Edinburgh.

These initial figures appear to be slightly below the expected 50% to 60% turnout, which was based on the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections. No indications on turnout in Argyll as yet.

12.32pm - So while it is shaping up to be a late night in Argyll and Bute, the first Scottish election result has been declared - and it is a win for Lib Dems' Liam McArthur in Kirkwall, Orkney, followed by SNP's Robert Leslie and Reform's John Coupland.

12.30pm - So it's not all election fun and games at the Lochgilphead Joint Campus today...it's very much business as usual for high school students as exams continue alongside the count.

12.21pm - Just what our readers on Arran wanted to hear....delays are being predicted for the results of the Cunninghame North and Cunninghame South constituencies. This is due to a later than expected verification of ballot papers. Only once all of the ballots have been verified can the actual count begin.

12.14pm - The Scottish Greens have a presence in the room today, despite not standing a constituency candidate in Argyll and Bute. The party will be hoping to return Ariane Burgess on the regional list, with some polls projecting a second regional seat for the Greens.

12.09pm - Lilac ballots for the constituency votes are now being sorted, with the clear front runners Jenni Minto (SNP) Alan Reid (Lib Dem) and Amanda Hampsey (Reform UK), going by the size of the piles. Candidates are lined up to watch, with growing confidence from the strong SNP presence in the room.

12.06pm - Sources from team SNP on the ground here in Lochgilphead say early voting is showing strong support for their candidate, Jenni Minto. Observers are scattered around the room, peering over the shoulders of ballot counters, including Argyll and Bute Council's Depute Provost Jan Brown, pictured.

11.57am - We've just caught up with Labour's Callum George, pictured below, one of the new faces in this political race.

Dr George has been an NHS doctor for four years now, which he says inspired his political aspirations.

He told West Coast Today: "I'm not a career politician, I'm a local doctor who just wanted to ask for a chance to serve my community.

"Being a doctor allows me to help people, and I have a similar motivation here. As a relative newcomer to the political world, I think it gives me an advantage over those stuck in the political bubble."

Asked how he would use his experience to address issues in the NHS, Dr George said: "People in charge of the NHS have to understand it from an intrinsic perspective. Not just staff, but patients as well. The SNP is increasingly not trusted with our NHS, and that is why so many other doctors and I have decided to run for Labour."

11.50am - There are a trio of constituency counts for the Highlands and Islands taking place in Inverness - with a lot at stake in all three.

In Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, the seat previously held by Maree Todd, the Lib Dems are confident of turning the tide. However, Ms Todd, who was drugs and alcohol minister in the last government, believes she can retain her seat.

It's a similar picture in Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, the seat vacated by Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes. The Lib Dems were hopeful of ousting the SNP, but our sources say the SNP look to be doing well. There is still a long way to go though...

11.33am - So what is happening elsewhere? Counting at the Portal Leisure Centre in Irvine is well under way, with the results of the Cunninghame North and Cunninghame South constituencies expected later this afternoon. Arran voters, who are included in the Cunninghame North constituency, can expect the declaration from returning officer Craig Hatton between 2.30pm and 3.45pm.

Votes cast in North Ayrshire for the West Scotland Region will be counted and reported to the regional returning officer Allan Russell. This declaration can be expected between 5pm and 7pm.

11.21am - Our team on the ground caught returning officer Pippa Milne's address to the count. Watch the video of what she had to say here. Her job is to ensure the election is administered effectively and that proceedings run smoothly. She also gets to tell us who has won!

11.02am - Reform's Amanda Hampsey has now arrived at the count - but there is still no sign of our independent candidates Mick Rice or Tommy Macpherson.

10.51am - If you think it's going to be a busy day for our election hopefuls, spare a thought for the West Coast Today reporting team, who have been at the Argyll and Bute count since just after 8am. Pictured are Megan Day, Matt Young and Owen Wild, who will be working hard to keep us right up to date until the results are called.

10.25am - So what difference has five years made? We will find out later, but last time around the SNP carried Argyll and Bute by almost 50 per cent of the vote, giving Jenni Minto a majority of just under 9,000 votes. The seat has been a SNP stronghold since 2007, with the party winning it from the Liberal Democrats. There are several factors this time around, notably the rise of Reform UK, which did not stand on the ballot last time.

10.14am - Candidates are beginning to arrive. First through the doors was Alan Reid (Liberal Democrats), followed by Peter Wallace (Conservatives), Callum George (Labour) and now the incumbent MSP Jenni Minto (SNP). Hope they have brought a good book or have Sky Go...other streaming services are also available!

10.05am - Just a reminder for anyone just joining us, the result from the Argyll and Bute count is going to be later than expected, now likely to drop around 6pm as opposed to 3pm.

9.58am - It is not just here in Lochgilphead that counting has started. For the Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituency, the count also began at 9am at Ionad Spòrs Leòdhais/ Isle of Lewis Sports Centre, Stornoway. The Na h-Eileanan an Iar Constituency Returning Officer is Malcolm Burr. Results are expected there at around 2pm, but that could, of course, be subject to change.

9.47am - Plenty of these have arrived from all over the region....

9.38am - The count here was originally expected to be completed by 3.30pm today, so the candidates are going to have an extra few hours of biting their nails to discover who has taken the seat at Holyrood.

9.19am - Good morning Argyll and Bute. We are here at Lochgilphead Joint Campus for the 2026 Scottish Election count. All those tasked with counting duties have made their way to their stations to begin the process, which got under way at 9am. The result here is expected at around 6pm, so a busy day ahead.