A Highland councillor who dramatically quit the SNP on the night of the Scottish Parliament election has joined a breakaway group on the authority.
Councillor Dave Fallows, Badenoch and Strathspey, will now sit with the Highland Alliance on the council.
His announced his departure from the SNP last Thursday, citing concerns about centralisation, gender-based selection procedures and council tax reform.
The 80-string authority is now made up of 32 independent, 19 SNP, 12 Liberal Democrat, eight Labour, six Highland Alliance and three non-aligned councillors.
Meanwhile the council also appointed Badenoch and Strathspey councillor Jaci Douglas as the authority’s representative on the NHS Highland board.
The position was vacant after Councillor David Alston was appointed as the health board’s new chairman.
