Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (UK Parliament constituency)

Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
County constituency; for the House of Commons
	Interactive map of boundaries from 2024
County	Highland
Major settlements	Thurso, Wick, Alness, Tain
Current constituency
Created	1997
Member of Parliament	Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrats)
Created from	Caithness & Sutherland and Ross, Cromarty & Skye

Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (Westminster). It is the most northerly constituency on the British mainland. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post system of election.

Since the 2017 general election, the constituency has been represented by Jamie Stone of the Liberal Democrats.^[1]

Boundaries

Map of boundaries 2005-2024

The constituency was created in 1997 by merging Caithness and Sutherland with an area from Ross, Cromarty and Skye which was abolished.

In 2005 the Westminster constituency was enlarged slightly, to include a small area from Ross, Skye and Inverness West. The rest of the latter was divided between two new constituencies, Ross, Skye and Lochaber and Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey.

In 2024 it was enlarged again to include the Black Isle, Dingwall and more of Wester Ross. This made it the largest UK constituency by area.

1997–2005: Caithness District, Sutherland District, and the Ross and Cromarty District electoral divisions of Easter Ross, Invergordon, and Tain.

2005–2024: The Highland Council wards of Alness and Ardross, Brora, Caithness Central, Caithness North East, Caithness North West, Caithness South East, Dornoch Firth, Ferindonald, Golspie and Rogart, Invergordon, Pulteneytown, Rosskeen and Saltburn, Seaboard, Sutherland Central, Sutherland North West, Tain East, Tain West, Thurso Central, Thurso East, Thurso West, Tongue and Farr, Wick, and Wick West.

2024-present: The Highland Council wards of North, West and Central Sutherland, Thurso and Northwest Caithness, Wick and East Caithness, East Sutherland and Edderton, part of Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh, Cromarty Firth, Tain and Easter Ross, Dingwall and Seaforth, Black Isle, and part of Aird and Loch Ness.^[2]

Local government area

Since it was created in 1997 the constituency has been one of three covering the Highland council area. Since 2005 the other two have been Ross, Skye and Lochaber and Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey. From 1997 to 2005 the other constituencies of the council area were Ross, Skye and Inverness West and Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber. Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross is the most northerly of the constituencies, and it now has the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency on its southern boundary.

As enlarged in 2005, the Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross constituency covered 23 out of the 80 wards of the council area: all ten wards of the Caithness area committee, all six wards of the Sutherland area committee and seven (Alness and Ardross, Invergordon, Ferindonald, Rosskeen and Saltburn, Seaboard, Tain East and Tain West) out of the 18 wards of the Ross and Cromarty area committee.

Ward boundaries were redrawn again in 2007, and the management areas were abolished in favour of three new corporate management areas. The new areas consist of groups of the new wards, and boundaries are similar to those of the Westminster constituencies, as defined in 2005. Two areas, the Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross area and the Ross, Skye and Lochaber area, have the names of Westminster constituencies. The name of the third area, the Inverness, Nairn, and Badenoch and Strathspey area, is very similar to that of the third constituency.

Scottish Parliament

In 1999 a Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) constituency was created with the name and boundaries of the Westminster constituency.

At Holyrood the area of the Westminster constituency is represented by an even larger constituency, Caithness, Sutherland and Ross.

Members of Parliament

Election	Member^[3]
1997	Robert Maclennan	Liberal Democrats
2001	John Thurso	Liberal Democrats
2015	Paul Monaghan	SNP
2017	Jamie Stone	Liberal Democrats

Election results

Elections in the 2020s

2024 general election: Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross^[4] ^[5]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Jamie Stone	22,736	49.4	+15.8
	SNP	Lucy Beattie	12,247	26.6	−12.3
	Labour	Eva Kestner	3,409	7.4	+2.1
	Reform UK	Sandra Skinner	3,360	7.3	+4.4
	Conservative	Fiona Fawcett	1,860	4.0	−13.3
	Scottish Green	Anne Thomas	1,641	3.6	+3.0
	Alba	Steve Chisholm	795	1.7	N/A
Rejected ballots			122
Majority			10,489	22.7
Turnout			46,170	61.9
	Liberal Democrats gain from SNP		Swing

Elections in the 2010s

2019 general election: Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross^[6]^[7]^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Jamie Stone	11,705	37.2	+1.4
	SNP	Karl Rosie	11,501	36.6	+7.4
	Conservative	Andrew Sinclair	5,176	16.5	−6.1
	Labour	Cheryl McDonald	1,936	6.2	−6.2
	Brexit Party	Sandra Skinner	1,139	3.6	N/A
Majority			204	0.6	−6.0
Turnout			31,457	67.0	+1.1
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	−3.0

2017 general election: Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross^[9]^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Jamie Stone	11,061	35.8	+0.7
	SNP	Paul Monaghan	9,017	29.2	–17.1
	Conservative	Struan Mackie	6,990	22.6	+15.8
	Labour	Olivia Bell	3,833	12.4	+3.4
Majority			2,044	6.6	N/A
Turnout			30,901	65.9	–6.0
	Liberal Democrats gain from SNP		Swing	+8.9

2015 general election: Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross ^[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Paul Monaghan	15,831	46.3	+27.1
	Liberal Democrats	John Thurso	11,987	35.1	−6.3
	Labour	John Erskine	3,061	9.0	−15.6
	Conservative	Alastair Graham	2,326	6.8	−6.2
	UKIP	Annie Murray	981	2.9	N/A
Majority			3,844	11.2	N/A
Turnout			34,186	71.9	+11.0
	SNP gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing	+16.7

2010 general election: Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross^[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	John Thurso	11,907	41.4	−9.1
	Labour	John Mackay	7,081	24.6	+3.7
	SNP	Jean Urquhart	5,516	19.2	+5.9
	Conservative	Alastair Graham	3,744	13.0	+2.8
	Independent	Gordon Campbell	520	1.8	−1.3
Majority			4,826	16.8	−13.8
Turnout			28,768	60.9	+1.8
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	−6.4

Elections in the 2000s

2005 general election: Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	John Thurso	13,957	50.5
	Labour	Alan Jamieson	5,789	20.9
	SNP	Karen Shirron	3,686	13.3
	Conservative	Angus Ross	2,835	10.2
	Independent	Gordon Campbell	848	3.1
	Scottish Socialist	Luke Ivory	548	2.0
Majority			8,168	29.6
Turnout			27,663	59.1
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing

2001 general election: Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross^[14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	John Thurso	9,041	36.4	+0.8
	Labour	Michael Meighan	6,297	25.3	−2.5
	SNP	John MacAdam	5,273	21.2	−1.8
	Conservative	Robert Rowantree	3,513	14.1	+3.3
	Scottish Socialist	Karn Mabon	544	2.2	N/A
	Independent	Gordon Campbell	199	0.8	N/A
Majority			2,744	11.1	+3.3
Turnout			24,867	60.2	−10.0
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	+1.6

Elections in the 1990s

1997 general election: Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross^[15]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	Robert Maclennan	10,381	35.6
	Labour	James Hendry	8,122	27.8
	SNP	Euan Harper	6,710	23.0
	Conservative	Tom Miers	3,148	10.8
	Referendum	Carolyn Ryder	369	1.3
	Scottish Green	John Martin	230	0.8
	UKIP	Martin Carr	212	0.7
Majority			2,259	7.8
Turnout			29,172	70.2
	Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

References

^ "Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". Retrieved 23 December 2019.
^ "2023 Review of UK Parliament Constituency Boundaries in Scotland" (PDF). June 2023.
^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 1)
^ "Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross results". BBC News. 5 July 2024.
^ "Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross - Declaration of Results for UK Parliamentary Election". Highland Council. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
^ "Candidates confirmed for UK Parliamentary general election 2019". The Highland Council. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
^ "Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". Retrieved 15 December 2019.
^ "Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis" (PDF). London: House of Commons Library. 28 January 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
^ Butlin, Heather (24 July 2017). "UK Parliamentary General Election". The Highland Council.
^ "Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis" (PDF) (Second ed.). House of Commons Library. 29 January 2019 [7 April 2018]. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 November 2019.
^ MacNeill, Alison. "Caithness Sutherland and Easter Ross constituency - UK Parliamentary General Election result". www.highland.gov.uk.
^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

External links

Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2005 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK

58°16′37″N 3°46′44″W / 58.277°N 3.779°W / 58.277; -3.779

[1] "Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". Retrieved 23 December 2019.

[2] "2023 Review of UK Parliament Constituency Boundaries in Scotland" (PDF). June 2023.

[rayment-3] Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 1)

[4] "Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross results". BBC News. 5 July 2024.

[5] "Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross - Declaration of Results for UK Parliamentary Election". Highland Council. Retrieved 9 July 2024.

[6] "Candidates confirmed for UK Parliamentary general election 2019". The Highland Council. Retrieved 14 November 2019.

[7] "Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". Retrieved 15 December 2019.

[CBP-8749-8] "Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis" (PDF). London: House of Commons Library. 28 January 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.

[9] Butlin, Heather (24 July 2017). "UK Parliamentary General Election". The Highland Council.

[10] "Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis" (PDF) (Second ed.). House of Commons Library. 29 January 2019 [7 April 2018]. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 November 2019.

[11] MacNeill, Alison. "Caithness Sutherland and Easter Ross constituency - UK Parliamentary General Election result". www.highland.gov.uk.

[electoralcalculus2010-12] "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.

[electoralcalculus2005-13] "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

[electoralcalculus2001-14] "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

[electoralcalculus1997-15] "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

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v t e UK Parliament constituencies in Scotland by holding party (57)
Labour (37)	Airdrie and Shotts Alloa and Grangemouth Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock Bathgate and Linlithgow Central Ayrshire Coatbridge and Bellshill Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch Dunfermline and Dollar East Kilbride and Strathaven East Renfrewshire Edinburgh East and Musselburgh Edinburgh North and Leith Edinburgh South Edinburgh South West Falkirk Glasgow East Glasgow North Glasgow North East Glasgow South Glasgow South West Glasgow West Glenrothes and Mid Fife Hamilton and Clyde Valley Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West Kilmarnock and Loudoun Livingston Lothian East Midlothian Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke Na h-Eileanan an Iar North Ayrshire and Arran Paisley and Renfrewshire North Paisley and Renfrewshire South Rutherglen Stirling and Strathallan West Dunbartonshire
Scottish National Party (9)	Aberdeen North Aberdeen South Aberdeenshire North and Moray East Angus and Perthshire Glens Arbroath and Broughty Ferry Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber Dundee Central Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey Perth and Kinross-shire
Liberal Democrat (6)	Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Edinburgh West Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire Mid Dunbartonshire North East Fife Orkney and Shetland
Conservative (5)	Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk Dumfries and Galloway Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale Gordon and Buchan West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine

v t e Scottish Westminster constituencies
1708 to 1832 1832 to 1868 1868 to 1885 1885 to 1918 1918 to 1950 1950 to 1955 1955 to 1974 1974 to 1983 1983 to 1997 1997 to 2005 2005 to 2024
Current constituencies (2024)
Aberdeen North Aberdeen South Aberdeenshire North and Moray East Airdrie & Shotts Alloa & Grangemouth Angus & Perthshire Glens Arbroath & Broughty Ferry Argyll, Bute & South Lochaber Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock Bathgate & Linlithgow Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross Central Ayrshire Coatbridge & Bellshill Cowdenbeath & Kirkcaldy Cumbernauld & Kirkintilloch Dumfries & Galloway Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale Dundee Central Dunfermline & Dollar East Kilbride & Strathaven East Renfrewshire Edinburgh East & Musselburgh Edinburgh North & Leith Edinburgh South Edinburgh South West Edinburgh West Falkirk Glasgow East Glasgow North Glasgow North East Glasgow South Glasgow South West Glasgow West Glenrothes & Mid Fife Gordon & Buchan Hamilton & Clyde Valley Inverclyde & Renfrewshire West Inverness, Skye & West Ross-shire Kilmarnock & Loudoun Livingston Lothian East Mid Dunbartonshire Midlothian Moray West, Nairn & Strathspey Motherwell, Wishaw & Carluke Na h-Eileanan an Iar North Ayrshire & Arran North East Fife Orkney & Shetland Paisley & Renfrewshire North Paisley & Renfrewshire South Perth & Kinross-shire Rutherglen Stirling & Strathallan West Aberdeenshire & Kincardine West Dunbartonshire

Authority control databases
International	VIAF WorldCat
People	UK Parliament

Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
County constituency for the House of Commons
Interactive map of boundaries from 2024

County	Highland
Major settlements	Thurso, Wick, Alness, Tain
Current constituency
Created	1997
Member of Parliament	Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrats)
Created from	Caithness & Sutherland and Ross, Cromarty & Skye