Lothian was one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies were sub-divisions of the region and it elected seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). Thus it elected a total of 16 MSPs. The region was located in the eastern area of the Central Belt of the Scottish Lowlands and was anchored by capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh.
The Lothian region was created as a result of the First Periodic Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries and largely replaced the Lothians region.
As a result of the Second Periodic Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries the region will be replaced by the Edinburgh and Lothians East electoral region for the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.
Constituencies and local government areas
Constituencies and council areas 2011–2026
As a result of the First Periodic Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries the boundaries for the region and constituencies were redrawn for the 2011 Scottish Parliament election.
Constituencies
Almond Valley Edinburgh Central Edinburgh Eastern Edinburgh Northern and Leith Edinburgh Pentlands Edinburgh Southern Edinburgh Western Linlithgow Midlothian North and Musselburgh
Members of the Scottish Parliament
Constituency MSPs as Lothians Term ElectionMidlothianEdinburgh East and MusselburghEdinburgh CentralEdinburgh North and LeithEdinburgh PentlandsEdinburgh SouthEdinburgh WestLinlithgowLivingston1st1999 Rhona Brankin(Labour) Susan Deacon(Labour) Sarah Boyack(Labour) Malcolm Chisholm(Labour) Iain Gray(Labour) Angus MacKay(Labour) Margaret Smith(LD)Mary Mulligan(Labour) Bristow Muldoon(Labour) 2nd2003David McLetchie Mike Pringle(LD) 3rd2007Kenny MacAskillAngela Constance as Lothian Term ElectionMidlothian North and MusselburghEdinburgh EasternEdinburgh CentralEdinburgh Northern and LeithEdinburgh PentlandsEdinburgh SouthernEdinburgh WesternLinlithgowAlmond Valley4th2011 Colin Beattie(SNP)Kenny MacAskill(SNP)Marco Biagi(SNP)Malcolm Chisholm(Labour)Gordon MacDonald(SNP)Jim Eadie(SNP)Colin Keir(SNP)Fiona Hyslop(SNP)Angela Constance (SNP)5th2016Ash Denham(SNP)Ruth Davidson(Conservative)Ben Macpherson(SNP)Daniel Johnson(Labour)Alex Cole-Hamilton(LD)6th2021Angus Robertson(SNP)
Regional list MSPs Elections take place on a whole-region basis: candidates shown in the same column have no particular relationship to each other.
Parliament MSP MSP MSP MSP MSP MSP MSP as Lothians 1st (1999–2003)Robin Harper(Green)Margo MacDonald(SNP)Fiona Hyslop(SNP)Kenny MacAskill(SNP)David Steel(Lib Dem)James Douglas-Hamilton(Conservative)David McLetchie(Conservative)Margo MacDonald(Ind)2nd (2003–07)Margo MacDonald (Ind)Colin Fox(Socialist)Mark Ballard(Green)3rd (2007–11)Ian McKee(SNP)Stefan Tymkewycz(SNP)Gavin Brown(Conservative)George Foulkes(Labour)Shirley-Anne Somerville(SNP) as Lothian4th (2011–16)Alison Johnstone(Green)Margo MacDonald(Ind)[a]Kezia Dugdale(Labour)[b]Neil Findlay(Labour)Sarah Boyack(Labour)Gavin Brown(Conservative)David McLetchie(Conservative)[c] Vacant (April 2014–May 2016)Cameron Buchanan(Conservative)[c]5th (2016–21)Andy Wightman(Green)[d]Gordon Lindhurst(Conservative)Miles Briggs(Conservative)Jeremy Balfour(Conservative)Andy Wightman(Ind)[d]Sarah Boyack(Labour)[b]6th (2021–26)Lorna Slater(Green)Foysol Choudhury(Labour)Sue Webber(Conservative)
[a] As Margo MacDonald was elected as an Independent MSP, there was no mechanism to appoint a replacement; following her death, her seat remained vacant until the Scottish Parliament general election in May 2016. [b] Stood down 15 July 2019, replaced by Sarah Boyack. [c] Upon the death of David McLetchie, he was replaced by Cameron Buchanan as the next name on the Lothian regional list for the Scottish Conservatives. [d] Originally sat as a Scottish Green MSP until December 2020.
Election results
2021 Scottish Parliament election Constituency results {| class=wikitable !colspan=4 style=background-color:#f2f2f2|2021 Scottish Parliament election: Lothian |- ! colspan=2 style="width: 200px"|Constituency ! style="width: 150px"|Elected member ! style="width: 300px"|Result
Additional member results
2016 Scottish Parliament election In the 2016 Scottish Parliament election the region elected MSPs as follows: 6 Scottish National Party MSPs (all constituency members) 4 Conservative MSPs (one constituency member and three additional members) 3 Labour MSPs (one constituency member and two additional members) 2 Green MSPs (both additional members) 1 Liberal Democrats MSP (constituency member)
Constituency results {| class=wikitable !colspan=4 style=background-color:#f2f2f2|2016 Scottish Parliament election: Lothian |- ! colspan=2 style="width: 200px"|Constituency ! style="width: 150px"|Elected member ! style="width: 300px"|Result
Additional member results {| class=wikitable !colspan=8 style=background-color:#f2f2f2|2016 Scottish Parliament election: Lothians |- ! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−%
2011 Scottish Parliament election In the 2011 Scottish Parliament election the region elected MSPs as follows: 8 Scottish National Party MSPs (eight constituency members) 4 Labour MSPs (one constituency members and three additional member) 2 Conservative MSPs (two additional members) 1 Scottish Greens MSP (additional member) 1 Independent MSP (additional member)
Constituency results {| class=wikitable !colspan=4 style=background-color:#f2f2f2|2011 Scottish Parliament election: Lothian |- ! colspan=2 style="width: 200px"|Constituency ! style="width: 150px"|Elected member ! style="width: 300px"|Result
Additional member results
Footnotes