Highland Council wards and councillors 2003 to 2007


Highland council area
Shown as one of the council areas of Scotland

The second general election to the Highland Council was held in May 2003, using 80 wards created for the first election, in 1999. In 1999 and 2003 each ward elected one councillor by the first past the post system of election. Elections are held on a four-year cycle: therefore the next general election is scheduled for 2007.
Wards are grouped into areas. Councillors elected from a particular area become members of the relevant area committee. The areas are similar to the districts which were abolished in 1996, when the Highland region became a unitary council area.
There are plans to use new larger wards for the next general election, each electing three or four councillors by the single transferable vote system. The total number of councillors will remain the same. The single transferable vote system, with multi-member wards, is designed to produce a form of proportional representation.

Political representation

The 2003 election created a council of 55 independent councillors, 12 Liberal Democrats, Labour Party councillors and 6 Scottish National Party councillors.
Now, after two by-elections, there are 54 independent councillors, 12 Liberal Democrat councillors, 8 Labour Party councillors and 6 Scottish National Party councillors.

By-elections

There have been two by-elections since the 2003 election.

Beauly and Strathglass

In June 2004, a by-election was held to fill a vacancy in the Beauly and Strathglass ward, in the Inverness area. The vacancy was due to the resignation of an independent councillor. The by-election had no effect on the balance of political representation.

Lochardil

In August 2006, a by-election was held to fill a vacancy in the Lochardil ward, in the Inverness area. The vacancy was due to the death of a councillor. The ward returned a Liberal Democrat to the council, so taking number of the seats held by that party up from 11 to 12.

Badenoch and Strathspey wards

There are five wards in the Badenoch and Strathspey area:
WardDescriptionCouncillorParty
Badenoch EastMostly rural
Includes part of Aviemore and part of Kingussie
Gregor RimellIndependent
Badenoch WestMostly rural
Includes Newtonmore and part of Kingussie
Sheena SlimonIndependent
Grantown on SpeyGrantown on SpeyBasil Matthew Stuart DunlopIndependent
Strathspey North EastMostly ruralStuart BlackLiberal Democrats
Strathspey SouthMostly rural
Includes part of Aviemore
Angus Gordon †Independent

† Area Convener

Caithness wards

There are 10 wards in the Caithness area:
WardDescriptionCouncillorParty
Caithness CentralMostly rural
Includes Halkirk
David Flear †Liberal Democrats
Caithness North EastMostly rural
Includes Dunnet and John o' Groats
John H GreenIndependent
Caithness North WestMostly rural
Includes Castletown
Alastair I MacDonaldLiberal Democrats
Caithness South EastMostly rural
Includes Lybster
William A MowatIndependent
PultneytownPultneytown area of WickKatrina MacNabIndependent
Thurso CentralPart of ThursoDonald Mackay
Thurso EastPart of ThursoTom JacksonIndependent
Thurso WestPart of ThursoRoger Eric SaxonLabour
WickPart of WickGraeme M SmithLiberal Democrats
Wick WestPart of WickWilliam N FernieIndependent

† Area Convener

Inverness wards

The Inverness area includes Loch Ness, Strathglass and the City of Inverness.
The city lacks clearly defined boundaries. In ward descriptions below the city means the urban area centred on the former burgh of Inverness.
There are 23 wards in the area:
WardDescriptionCouncillorParty
Ardersier, Croy and PettyTo the east of the city of Inverness
Mostly rural
Includes Ardersier
Roderick Andrew Christopher BalfourIndependent
BallifearyPart of the cityAlistair MilneIndependent
BallochTo the east of the cityRobert WyndScottish National Party
Beauly and StrathglassMostly rural
Includes Beauly and Strathglass
Garry James Coutts, until May 2004
Helen M Carmichael, since June 2004
Independent
Independent
CanalPart of the cityWilliam John Smith †Independent
CulduthelPart of the city
and a rural area to the south
Norrie DonaldIndependent
CullodenTo the east of the city
Mostly rural
John FordLabour
CrownPart of the cityJames Sutherland GrayLabour
DrumossieTo the southeast of the city
Mostly rural
Kathleen Greig MathesonIndependent
HiltonPart of the cityAngus John DickLiberal Democrats
InchesPart of city
and an area to the southeast
Janet Noble HomeIndependent
Inverness CentralPart of the cityEilidh MacDonaldLabour
Inverness WestPart of the city
and an area to the southwest
Ronald James LyonIndependent
KirkhillPart of the city
and a rural area to the southwest
Jack ShielsIndependent
LochardilPart of the cityMargaret Agnes MacLennan, until May 2006
David Henderson, since August 2006
Independent
Liberal Democrats
Loch Ness EastOn the southeast side of Loch Ness

Mostly rural
Includes part of the city
Ella MacRaeIndependent
Loch Ness WestMostly on the northwest side of Loch Ness
Mostly rural
Includes Drumnadrochit and Fort Augustus
Margaret Christine DavidsonIndependent
MerkinchPart of the cityPeter Corbett
MiltonPart of the cityClive Lawrence GoodmanLabour
MuirtownPart of the cityChristine MacNiven CummingLabour
RaigmorePart of the cityDavid Ross MunroLabour
ScorguiePart of the cityJimmy MacDonaldIndependent
Westhill and SmithtonTo the east of the cityGillian McCreathScottish National Party

† Area Convener

Lochaber wards

There are eight wards in the Lochaber area:
WardTowns and villagesCouncillorParty
Ardnamurchan and MorvernAcharacleMichael E M FoxleyLiberal Democrats
CaolOlwyn J Macdonald †Independent
Claggan and Glen SpeanThomas J MacLennanIndependent
Fort William NorthBrian J Murphy
Fort William SouthNeil M Clark
GlencoeKinlochlevenAndrew R McFarlane SlackIndependent
Kilmallie and InvergaryWilliam Clark
Mallaig and Small IslesMallaigCharles KingIndependent

† Area Convener

Nairn wards

The Nairn area is mostly rural. Ward boundaries radiate from the town of Nairn, dividing the town between all four wards:
WardDescriptionCouncillorParty
Nairn AlltanPart of the town
and a western area
John N MathesonIndependent
Nairn AuldearnPart of the town
and a south-eastern area
Alexander S Park †Independent
Nairn CawdorPart of the town
and a south-western area
Laurie Richard FraserIndependent
Nairn NinianPart of the town
and an eastern area
Elizabeth MacDonaldScottish National Party

† Area Convener

Ross and Cromarty wards

There are 18 wards in the Ross and Cromarty area:
WardDescriptionCouncillorParty
Alness and ArdrossIncludes Alness and ArdrossAndrew AndersonScottish National Party
Avoch and FortrosePart of the Black IsleBilly BarclayIndependent
Black Isle NorthPart of the Black IsleNorth David AlstonIndependent
Conon and MaryburghAngela MacLeanLiberal Democrats
Dingwall NorthIncludes part of DingwallMichael Muirdon MacMillanLabour
Dingwall SouthIncludes part of DingwallMargaret PatersonScottish National Party
FerindonaldVal MacIverIndependent
GairlochIncludes Gairloch and UllapoolRoy MacintyreIndependent
InvergordonIncludes InvergordonJohn Robert ConnellLiberal Democrats
Knockbain and KillearnanPart of the Black IsleIsobel McCallumIndependent
LochbroomJean UrquhartScottish National Party
LochcarronEwen C MackinnonIndependent
Muir of OrdDavid J ChisholmIndependent
Rosskeen and SaltburnCarolyn Anne WilsonIndependent
SeaboardIncludes the Seaboard VillagesRichard DurhamLiberal Democrats
Strathpeffer and StrathcononDouglas BriggsIndependent
Tain EastIncludes part of TainAlan TorranceIndependent
Tain WestIncludes part of TainAlasdair RhindIndependent

† Area Convener

Skye and Lochalsh wards

There are six wards in the Skye and Lochalsh area:
WardTowns and villagesCouncillorParty
KinlochshielIsabelle M CampbellLiberal Democrats
Kyle and SleatWilliam M FultonIndependent
PortreePortreeDrew Millar †Liberal Democrats
Skye CentralBroadfordHamish FraserIndependent
Skye WestDunveganJohn LaingIndependent
Snizort and TrotternishIain MacDonaldIndependent

† Area Convener

Sutherland wards

There are six wards in the Sutherland area:
WardTowns and villagesCouncillorParty
BroraBroraMargaret White Finlayson*Independent
Dornoch FirthDornochJames D W AllanIndependent
Golspie and RogartGolspie, RogartWilli-