A new councillor has been elected on to Highland Council – boosting the Independent membership to 27.
The by-election to elect a councillor to represent the Aird and Loch Ness Ward has been won by David Fraser, one of six candidates who contested the vacancy.
The new councillor won at the 6th stage of the count, with a turnout of 35.1%%.
He will now join councillors Helen Carmichael (Independent), Margaret Davidson (Independent) and Emma Knox (Scottish National Party) in representing Ward 12 on Highland Council.
The current political make-up of the local authority now has the top parties as 27 Independent councillors, 18 SNP, 10 Conservative, nine Lib Deb.
The by-election follows the death of Councillor George Cruickshank last April. It was postponed due to Covid.
Mr Cruickshank represented the Scottish Conservatives and was 74.
Mr Cruickshank was born in Newcastle in 1946, and moved to Fort Augustus when he was 15.
Mr Cruickshank ran the West End Garage for many years before he became a Highland councillor in May 2017.
