1999 Highland Council election

1999 Highland Council election

6 May 1999 (1999-05-06)
All 80 seats to Highland Council 41 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Party Independent Liberal Democrats Labour Last election 49 seats, 61.22% 7 seats, 7.65% 7 seats, 12.2% Seats won 49 12 10 Seat change 0 5 3 Popular vote 43,810 8,108 11,756 Percentage 57.39% 10.62% 15.4% Swing 3.84% 3.9% 4.43%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Party SNP Independent Liberal Conservative Last election 9 seats, 17.36% New 1 seat, 0.9% Seats won 8 1 0 Seat change 1 1 1 Popular vote 9,456 695 2,509 Percentage 12.39% 0.91% 3.29% Swing 4.96% New 2.39%
Map showing results by ward
Council Convener before election Peter Peacock Independent Council Convener after election David Green Independent

Elections to the Highland Council were held on 6 May 1999; the same day as elections to the Scottish Parliament and to the 31 other councils in Scotland. 80 councillors were elected from 80 wards using the plurality system (a.k.a. 'First Past the Post'). Independent councillors retained their status as the majority group, with councillors also being elected representing the Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, and Scottish National Party.

Overall result

The Highland Council elections, 1999

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Independent	49			±0	61.25	57.39	43,810	−3.84
	Liberal Democrats	12			+6	15.00	10.62	8,108	+3.90
	Labour	10			+3	12.50	15.40	11,756	+4.43
	SNP	8			−1	10.00	12.39	9,456	−4.96
	Independent Liberal	1			+1	1.25	0.91	695	+0.91
	Conservative	0			−1	—	3.29	2,509	+2.39

Caithness

The Highland Council election, 1999: Caithness North-West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Alastair MacDonald	680
	Independent	John Mowat	480
Majority			278

The Highland Council election, 1999: Thurso West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Eric Saxon	454
	Independent	James Fry	407
	Independent	George Bruce	357
Majority			47

The Highland Council election, 1999: Thurso Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Rosie	553
	Independent	Elizabeth MacDonald	482
	Independent	Ronald Henderson	198
Majority			71

The Highland Council election, 1999: Thurso East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Donald Waters	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 1999: Caithness Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	David Flear	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 1999: Caithness North-East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Green	793
	Independent	David Richard	580
Majority			213

The Highland Council election, 1999: Wick

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Graeme Smith	447
	Labour	Bill Mowat	402
	Independent	Anderson Murray	376
Majority			45

The Highland Council election, 1999: Wick West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Deirdre Steven	463
	Independent	William Fernie	438
	Independent	Alistair Roy	333
Majority			25

The Highland Council election, 1999: Pulteneytown

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Jim Oag	673
	Independent	Niall Smith	437
Majority			236

The Highland Council election, 1999: Caithness South-East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent Liberal	William Mowat	695
	Independent	Jeanette Calder	522
Majority			173

Sutherland

The Highland Council election, 1999: Sutherland North-West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Francis Keith	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 1999: Tongue and Farr

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Barbara Jardine	539
	Independent	Alexander Mackay	514
Majority			25

The Highland Council election, 1999: Sutherland Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Alison Magee	725
	Independent	Russell Taylor	470
	Independent	Alexander Chalmers	186
Majority			255

The Highland Council election, 1999: Golspie and Rogart

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Ian Ross	687
	Independent	Helen Houston	373
	Independent	Valerie Scott	150
Majority			314

The Highland Council election, 1999: Brora

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Rita Finlayson	802
	Independent	Ronald McDonald	662
Majority			140

The Highland Council election, 1999: Dornoch Firth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Duncan Allan	1,104
	Independent	Gordon Campbell	306
Majority			798

Ross & Cromarty

The Highland Council election, 1999: Lochbroom

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	David Green	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 1999: Alness and Ardross

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Andrew Anderson	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 1999: Tain West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Alasdair Rhind	1,040
	SNP	Derek Louden	415
Majority			625

The Highland Council election, 1999: Tain East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	James Paterson	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 1999: Seaboard

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Richard Durham	747
	Labour	John Mitchell	493
Majority			254

The Highland Council election, 1999: Invergordon

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Lou Wilkerson	622
	SNP	Morag McCourt	355
	Independent	Maxine Smith	320
Majority			267

The Highland Council election, 1999: Rosskeen and Saltburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Carolyn Wilson	568
	Independent	Norman Chisholm	350
	SNP	Andrew Currie	302
	Labour	John Boocock	270
Majority			218

The Highland Council election, 1999: Gairloch

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Roy Macintyre	857
	SNP	Kris Murray Browne	260
Majority			597

The Highland Council election, 1999: Lochcarron

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Ewan Mackinnon	518
	Independent	Elizabeth Pritchard	399
	Independent	Allan MacArthur	143
Majority			119

The Highland Council election, 1999: Ferindonald

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Mike Finlayson	848
	SNP	Robert Gibson	627
Majority			221

The Highland Council election, 1999: Strathpeffer and Strathconon

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Douglas Briggs	959
	Conservative	Bill Mackenzie	309
Majority			650

The Highland Council election, 1999: Dingwall South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Margaret Paterson	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 1999: Dingwall North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Andrew Paterson	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 1999: Muir of Ord

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	David Philip	789
	SNP	John MacInnes	572
Majority			217

The Highland Council election, 1999: Conon and Maryburgh

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Sandy MacKenzie	743
	Independent	Evelyn Vass	703
Majority			40

The Highland Council election, 1999: Knockbain and Killearnan

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Peter Cairns	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 1999: Black Isle North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	David Alston	596
	Independent	Thomas Anderson	591
	SNP	Alistair Dunn	268
Majority			5

The Highland Council election, 1999: Avoch and Fortrose

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Morris Downie	865
	Independent	Duncan McPherson	502
	Conservative	Celia Stewart	383
Majority			363

Skye & Lochalsh

The Highland Council election, 1999: Snizort and Trotternish

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Gavin Scott Moncrief	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 1999: Skye West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Allan Beaton	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 1999: Portree

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Drew Millar	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 1999: Skye Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Angus Sutherland	715
	SNP	Farquhar MacLennan	322
Majority			393

The Highland Council election, 1999: Kyle and Sleat

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	William Fulton	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 1999: Kinlochshiel

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Isabelle Campbell	832
	Labour	Patricia Shaw	171
Majority			661

Inverness

The Highland Council election, 1999: Beauly and Strathglass

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Garry Coutts	734
	Independent	John Sellar	577
Majority			157

The Highland Council election, 1999: Kirkhill

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Jack Shiels	906
	Independent	Molly Doyle	595
Majority			311

The Highland Council election, 1999: Scorguie

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Bernard Salmon	815
	Labour	Jimmy MacDonald	622
Majority			193

The Highland Council election, 1999: Muirtown

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Christine Cumming	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 1999: Merkinch

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Peter Corbett	701
	SNP	Donnie Kerr	238
	Labour	Alexander MacLean	234
Majority			463

The Highland Council election, 1999: Inverness Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Eilidh MacDonald	514
	Independent	Jim Alexander	392
	SNP	Joerg Macthearlaich-Wiench	300
	Conservative	Moray MacDonald	190
Majority			122

The Highland Council election, 1999: Culloden

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	John Cole	667
	SNP	James McCreath	381
	Labour	John Ford	285
Majority			286

The Highland Council election, 1999: Ardersier, Croy, and Petty

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Roderick Balfour	612
	SNP	Derek MacDonald	461
	Liberal Democrats	Glynis Sinclair	353
Majority			151

The Highland Council election, 1999: Loch Ness West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Margaret Davidson	1,018
	Independent	Patrick Paterson	483
Majority			535

The Highland Council election, 1999: Inverness West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Ronald Lyon	708
	Labour	Debra Lake	452
Majority			256

The Highland Council election, 1999: Canal

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	William Smith	941
	Labour	Mark Grant	453
Majority			488

The Highland Council election, 1999: Ballifeary

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Jim Thomson	820
	SNP	Robert McLennan	479
Majority			341

The Highland Council election, 1999: Lochardil

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Margaret MacLennan	1,037
	Labour	Andrew Ingram	546
Majority			491

The Highland Council election, 1999: Hilton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Angus Dick	541
	SNP	Stuart Dickson	431
	Labour	Alison Watson	273
Majority			110

The Highland Council election, 1999: Milton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Clive Goodman	834
	Liberal Democrats	John Horne	602
Majority			232

The Highland Council election, 1999: Crown

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Dick Simpson	636
	Independent	Patricia Hayden	434
	Labour	John Ward	335
	Conservative	Peter Saggers	191
Majority			202

The Highland Council election, 1999: Raigmore

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David Munro	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 1999: Loch Ness East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Ella MacRae	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 1999: Culduthel

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Norrie Donald	817
	Labour	Kenneth Thomson	638
Majority			179

The Highland Council election, 1999: Inshes

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Janet Home	639
	SNP	Ian Brown	464
	Independent	John Holden	339
Majority			175

The Highland Council election, 1999: Drumossie

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Kathleen Matheson	919
	SNP	Robert Chalmers	518
Majority			401

The Highland Council election, 1999: Westhill and Smithton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Gillian McCreath	442
	Labour	Malcolm Jack	425
	Independent	George Davidson	290
	Liberal Democrats	Jermaine Allison	240
Majority			17

The Highland Council election, 1999: Balloch

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Robert Wynd	596
	Labour	Walter McGarrity	512
	Conservative	William Cameron	445
Majority			84

Nairn

The Highland Council election, 1999: Nairn Alltan

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Matheson	662
	Independent	Andrew Gardiner	425
	Conservative	Tony Lister	312
Majority			237

The Highland Council election, 1999: Nairn Ninian

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Elizabeth MacDonald	450
	Independent	William Shand	409
	Independent	Duncan McDonald	312
	Conservative	Mark Conway	98
Majority			41

The Highland Council election, 1999: Nairn Cawdor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	David Fraser	583
	Independent	Laurie Fraser	513
	Conservative	Jonathan Alford	133
	Independent	John MacKenzie	81
Majority			70

The Highland Council election, 1999: Nairn Auldearn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Alexander Park	Unopposed

Badenoch & Strathspey

The Highland Council election, 1999: Badenoch West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Alexander Russell	882
	Conservative	David Spry	251
Majority			631

The Highland Council election, 1999: Badenoch East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Robert Severn	351
	Independent	Susan Paton	328
	Liberal Democrats	Gregor Rimell	303
	Independent	George Gibson	159
Majority			23

The Highland Council election, 1999: Strathspey South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Angus Gordon	657
	SNP	Karen Lawrie	498
Majority			159

The Highland Council election, 1999: Strathspey North-East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Francis Black	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 1999: Grantown-on-Spey

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Basil Dunlop	852
	Independent	Arthur Durance	302
Majority			550

Lochaber

The Highland Council election, 1999: Mallaig and Small Isles

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Charles King	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 1999: Kilmallie and Invergarry

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	George Bruce	754
	Labour	Susan Carstairs	258
	Independent	Donald Lawrie	166
Majority			496

The Highland Council election, 1999: Claggan and Glen Spean

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	William MacLachlan	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 1999: Ardnamurchan and Morvern

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Michael Foxley	571
	Independent	Iain Thornber	387
	Conservative	Jonathan Slater	197
Majority			184

The Highland Council election, 1999: Caol

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Olwyn Macdonald	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 1999: Fort William North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Brian Murphy	699
	SNP	Iain Macdonald	559
Majority			140

The Highland Council election, 1999: Fort William South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Neil Clark	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 1999: Glencoe

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Andrew McFarlane-Slack	770
	Labour	William Spence	428
	SNP	David Ingham	257
Majority			342