Highland Council election, 2003

Main article: Scottish local elections, 2003

File:Highland Council election, 2003.svg

Map showing results by ward.

Elections to the Highland Council were held on 1 May 2003; 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, 2003
Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Independent	57	11	4	+7	71.3	69.6	45,405	+12.21
	Liberal Democrats	9	2	5	−3	11.3	6.1	3,986	−4.52
	Labour	8	3	5	−2	10.0	11.6	7,536	−3.80
	SNP	6	1	3	−2	7.5	10.2	6,664	+0.20
	Conservative	0	0	0	0	―	1.2	799	−2.09
	Scottish Socialist	0	0	0	0	―	1.1	730	+1.10
	Countryside Party	0	0	0	0	―	0.2	116	+0.20

Caithness

The Highland Council election, 2003: Caithness North-West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Alastair MacDonald	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 2003: Thurso West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Eric Saxon	543
	Independent	James Fry	425
Majority			118

The Highland Council election, 2003: Thurso Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Donald Mackay	636
	Labour	John Rosie	527
Majority			109

The Highland Council election, 2003: Thurso East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Tom Jackson	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 2003: Caithness Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	David Flear	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 2003: Caithness North-East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Green	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 2003: Wick

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Graeme Smith	536
	Labour	Bill Mowat	242
	SNP	Niall Smith	198
Majority			294

The Highland Council election, 2003: Wick West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	William Fernie	469
	SNP	James Sutherland	355
	Labour	Neil MacDonald	225
Majority			114

The Highland Council election, 2003: Pulteneytown

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Katrina MacNab	599
	Labour	Jim Oag	301
Majority			298

The Highland Council election, 2003: Caithness South-East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	William Mowat	Unopposed

Sutherland

The Highland Council election, 2003: Sutherland North-West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Francis Keith	519
	Independent	John Forbes	442
Majority			77

The Highland Council election, 2003: Tongue and Farr

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Sandy Mackay	518
	Liberal Democrats	Barbara Jardine	376
Majority			142

The Highland Council election, 2003: Sutherland Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Alison Magee	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 2003: Golspie and Rogart

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Ian Ross	912
	Scottish Socialist	Francis Ward	79
Majority			833

The Highland Council election, 2003: Brora

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Rita Finlayson	634
	Independent	Robbie Rowantree	602
Majority			32

The Highland Council election, 2003: Dornoch Firth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Duncan Allan	826
	Independent	Gordon Campbell	339
Majority			487

Ross & Cromarty

The Highland Council election, 2003: Lochbroom

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Jean Urquhart	393
	Independent	Kenneth MacLeod	338
	Labour	Lauri Chilton	239
Majority			55

The Highland Council election, 2003: Alness and Ardross

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Andrew Anderson	961
	Scottish Socialist	Jean Cadden	88
Majority			873

The Highland Council election, 2003: Tain West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Alasdair Rhind	1,025
	Scottish Socialist	Sean Robertson	162
Majority			863

The Highland Council election, 2003: Tain East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Alan Torrance	540
	Independent	James Paterson	497
Majority			43

The Highland Council election, 2003: Seaboard

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Richard Durham	554
	Independent	Linda Bruce	232
	SNP	Andrew Currie	232
Majority			322

The Highland Council election, 2003: Invergordon

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Connell	662
	Independent	Maxine Smith	251
	Labour	Lou Wilkerson	203
Majority			371

The Highland Council election, 2003: Rosskeen and Saltburn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Carolyn Wilson	900
	Independent	Dot MacLennan	292
Majority			608

The Highland Council election, 2003: Gairloch

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Roy Macintyre	601
	Labour Co-op	Christine Conniff	351
Majority			250

The Highland Council election, 2003: Lochcarron

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Ewan Mackinnon	746
	Countryside Party	Neveille-Suzanette MacDonald-Rolfe	116
Majority			630

The Highland Council election, 2003: Ferindonald

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Val MacIver	531
	Independent	Mike Finlayson	492
	Independent	Dennis Dunbar	173
Majority			39

The Highland Council election, 2003: Strathpeffer and Strathconon

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Douglas Briggs	812
	Conservative	John Scott	219
Majority

The Highland Council election, 2003: Dingwall South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Margaret Paterson	470
	Labour	Marilyn Ross	439
Majority			31

The Highland Council election, 2003: Dingwall North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Michael MacMillan	576
	Independent	Andrew Paterson	532
Majority			44

The Highland Council election, 2003: Muir of Ord

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	David Chisholm	806
	Independent	Tom Davis	380
Majority			426

The Highland Council election, 2003: Conon and Maryburgh

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Angela MacLean	786
	Independent	David Philip	519
Majority			267

The Highland Council election, 2003: Knockbain and Killearnan

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Isobel McCallum	980
	Conservative	Andrew Duncan	226
Majority			754

The Highland Council election, 2003: Black Isle North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	David Alston	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 2003: Avoch and Fortrose

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Billy Barclay	598
	Independent	Okain McLennan	584
	Independent	Morris Downie	496
	Labour	Leslie Hood	136
Majority			14

Skye & Lochalsh

The Highland Council election, 2003: Snizort and Trotternish

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Iain MacDonald	547
	SNP	Rod Liddon	306
	Independent	Ben Palmer	87
Majority			241

The Highland Council election, 2003: Skye West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Laing	538
	Independent	William Sutherland	330
Majority			208

The Highland Council election, 2003: Portree

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Drew Millar	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 2003: Skye Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Hamish Fraser	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 2003: Kyle and Sleat

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	William Fulton	529
	Independent	Audrey Sinclair	450
Majority			79

The Highland Council election, 2003: Kinlochshiel

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Isabelle Campbell	Unopposed

Inverness

The Highland Council election, 2003: Beauly and Strathglass

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Garry Coutts	555
	Independent	Helen Carmichael	549
Majority			9

The Highland Council election, 2003: Kirkhill

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Jack Shiels	572
	Independent	Graham Cross	407
	Independent	Hamish Wood	312
Majority			165

The Highland Council election, 2003: Scorguie

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Jimmy MacDonald	452
	Liberal Democrats	Shanea Fraser	227
	Independent	Christine Forbes	195
	Labour	Mark Grant	179
Majority			225

The Highland Council election, 2003: Muirtown

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Christine Cumming	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 2003: Merkinch

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Peter Corbett	642
	Scottish Socialist	Simon Cann	92
Majority			550

The Highland Council election, 2003: Inverness Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Eilidh MacDonald	319
	Independent	Jim Alexander	316
	Liberal Democrats	Daniel Farthing	174
	Independent	Hector MacDonald	170
	Independent	Donald MacKay	116
Majority			3

The Highland Council election, 2003: Culloden

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Ford	434
	SNP	James McCreath	377
	Liberal Democrats	Michael Perrin	187
Majority			57

The Highland Council election, 2003: Ardersier, Croy, and Petty

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Roderick Balfour	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 2003: Loch Ness West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Margaret Davidson	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 2003: Inverness West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Ronald Lyon	546
	Independent	Joan Stewart	280
Majority			266

The Highland Council election, 2003: Canal

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	William Smith	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 2003: Ballifeary

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Alistair Milne	625
	Labour	Jim Thomson	465
Majority			160

The Highland Council election, 2003: Lochardil

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Margaret MacLennan	712
	Independent	Michael Gimson	377
	Labour	Andrew Ingram	211
Majority			335

The Highland Council election, 2003: Hilton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Angus Dick	547
	Independent	Thomas Lamont	368
Majority			179

The Highland Council election, 2003: Milton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Clive Goodman	494
	SNP	Ian Brown	429
	Liberal Democrats	Ruth Hunt	199
Majority			65

The Highland Council election, 2003: Crown

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	James Gray	734
	Independent	Hamish McKenzie	622
Majority			112

The Highland Council election, 2003: Raigmore

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David Munro	521
	SNP	Scott MacKenzie	217
	Independent	Donald Robertson	89
	Independent	David Gallant	81
Majority			304

The Highland Council election, 2003: Loch Ness East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Ella MacRae	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 2003: Culduthel

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Norrie Donald	1,061
	Independent	Ralph Sauer	245
Majority			816

The Highland Council election, 2003: Inshes

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Janet Home	746
	Independent	John Holden	540
Majority			206

The Highland Council election, 2003: Drumossie

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Kathleen Matheson	754
	Independent	Farquhar Forbes	482
Majority			272

The Highland Council election, 2003: Westhill and Smithton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Gillian McCreath	461
	Labour	Malcolm Jack	397
	Conservative	Peter Saggers	152
	Independent	George Davidson	107
Majority			64

The Highland Council election, 2003: Balloch

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Robert Wynd	647
	Liberal Democrats	Glynis Sinclair	409
	Conservative	Tony Lister	202
Majority			238

Nairn

The Highland Council election, 2003: Nairn Alltan

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Matheson	363
	Independent	Jim Lennon	300
	Independent	Bill Shand	297
	SNP	June Gordon	217
	Independent	Nigel Hanlin	53
Majority			63

The Highland Council election, 2003: Nairn Ninian

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Elizabeth MacDonald	606
	Independent	Andrew Brown	330
	Independent	Duncan McDonald	310
Majority			276

The Highland Council election, 2003: Nairn Cawdor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Laurie Fraser	766
	Independent	Graham Marsden	242
Majority			524

The Highland Council election, 2003: Nairn Auldearn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Alexander Park	837
	Independent	James Young	394
Majority			443

Badenoch & Strathspey

The Highland Council election, 2003: Badenoch West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Sheena Slimon	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 2003: Badenoch East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Gregor Rimell	348
	SNP	Robert Severn	309
	Independent	Hendy Pollock	285
Majority			39

The Highland Council election, 2003: Strathspey South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Angus Gordon	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 2003: Strathspey North-East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Francis Black	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 2003: Grantown-on-Spey

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Basil Dunlop	Unopposed

Lochaber

The Highland Council election, 2003: Mallaig and Small Isles

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Charles King	Unopposed

The Highland Council election, 2003: Kilmallie and Invergarry

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Bill Clark	582
	Independent	George Bruce	411
Majority			171

The Highland Council election, 2003: Claggan and Glen Spean

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Thomas MacLennan	449
	Independent	William MacLachlan	325
	Independent	Alistair MacGregor	168
Majority			124

The Highland Council election, 2003: Ardnamurchan and Morvern

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Michael Foxley	545
	Independent	Iain Thornber	468
Majority			77

The Highland Council election, 2003: Caol

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Olwyn Macdonald	656
	Independent	Edward Hunter	627
Majority			29

The Highland Council election, 2003: Fort William North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Brian Murphy	733
	Scottish Socialist	Douglas Nolan	309
Majority			424

The Highland Council election, 2003: Fort William South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Neil Clark	450
	Independent	May Alexander	238
	Independent	Euan Harper	187
Majority			212

The Highland Council election, 2003: Glencoe

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Andrew McFarlane-Slack	722
	SNP	David Ingham	486
Majority			236