North East Scotland is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Ten of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region. Under the additional-member electoral system used for elections to the Scottish Parliament, the region elects seven regional Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), in addition to the ten constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole, which thus elects a total of 17 MSPs.
The North East Scotland region shares boundaries with the Highlands and Islands and Mid Scotland and Fife regions.
Contents
Constituencies and local government areas
2026–present
Following the Second Periodic Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries, boundaries for Scotland's electoral regions and constituencies were redrawn ahead the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. North East Scotland saw a very minor change in its boundary with the Highlands and Islands region, as result of changes to the boundary between the Moray and Banffshire and Buchan Coast constituencies, but was otherwise left unchanged.
2011–2026
As a result of the First Periodic Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries the boundaries of the region and constituencies were redrawn for the 2011 Scottish Parliament election.
1999–2011
In terms of first past the post constituencies the region covered:
The constituencies were created in 1999 with the names and boundaries of Westminster constituencies, as existing in at that time. Scottish Westminster constituencies were mostly replaced with new constituencies in 2005
In terms of local government areas the region covers:
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeen City
Dundee City
part of Angus (otherwise within the Mid Scotland and Fife electoral region)
a small part of Moray (otherwise within the Highlands and Islands electoral region)
a small part of Perth and Kinross (otherwise within the Mid Scotland and Fife electoral region)
Members of the Scottish Parliament
Regional list MSPs
N.B. This table is for presentation purposes only
Election results
2016 Scottish Parliament election
In the 2016 Scottish Parliament election the region elected MSPs as follows:
9 Scottish National Party MSPs (nine constituency members)
5 Conservative MSPs (one constituency member, four additional members)
2 Labour MSPs (all additional members)
1 Liberal Democrat MSP (additional member)
Candidates elected on the regional list are shown in bold; candidates elected in a constituency who also stood on a list are shown in italics.
2011 Scottish Parliament election
In the 2011 Scottish Parliament election the region elected MSPs as follows:
11 Scottish National Party MSPs (ten constituency members and one additional members)
3 Labour MSPs (all additional members)
2 Conservative MSPs (all additional members)
1 Liberal Democrat MSP (additional member)
2007 Scottish Parliament election
In the 2007 Scottish Parliament election the region elected MSPs as follows:
8 Scottish National Party MSPs (six constituency members and two additional members)
3 Labour MSPs (one constituency members and two additional members)
3 Liberal Democrat MSPs (two constituency members and one additional member)
2 Conservative MSPs (all additional members)
2003 Scottish Parliament election
In the 2003 Scottish Parliament election the region elected MSPs as follows:
5 Scottish National Party MSPs (four constituency members and one additional member)
4 Labour MSPs (two constituency members and two additional members)
3 Liberal Democrat MSPs (all constituency members)
3 Conservative MSPs (all additional members)
1 Green MSP (additional member)
Changes:
Maureen Watt replaced Richard Lochhead, who resigned as an MSP in April 2006 to contest the Moray by-election following the death of Margaret Ewing. Watt was the next available candidate on the SNP list.
1999 Scottish Parliament election
In the 1999 Scottish Parliament election the region elected MSPs as follows:
6 Scottish National Party MSPs (two constituency members four additional members)
4 Labour MSPs (all constituency members)
3 Liberal Democrat MSPs (all constituency members)
3 Conservative MSPs (all additional members)
Changes:
2001 Banff and Buchan by-election: Stewart Stevenson replaced Alex Salmond, who had resigned. Salmond was elected as the Member of Parliament for the Banff and Buchan constituency of the United Kingdom Parliament the same day as the Scottish Parliament by-election.