The dozen MPs for the north and north-east cost taxpayers more than £3million in salaries, expenses and staff last year.
New figures published by the Westminster watchdog yesterday showed that the total business costs for the 12 representatives came to £2,240,917, plus more than £800,000 in pay.
The expenses bill for 2013/14 represented a 5.4% increase on last year, and was published amid controversy over plans to give MPs a 10% rise in their basic salaries.
Former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy, a Highland MP, had the highest business costs of the dozen, at £209,748.
The SNP’s Banff and Buchan representative Eilidh Whiteford was the MP with the lowest bill in the regions at £144,022, according to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa).
Chief Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander – who oversees £700billion of public spending at Whitehall – went over the maximum allowed on staff costs.
He will now have to carry forward the £19,883 deficit into next year’s budget.
Graeme Littlejohn – a former Scottish Lib Dems communications director- was appointed as Mr Alexander’s head of office in Inverness at the start of the year, fuelling reports that the north MP was positioning himself for a leadership bid whenever Nick Clegg steps down.
Despite having the highest staff costs of the 12 members, Mr Alexander did not ask for any taxpayer money to go towards paying for his second home for a third year in a row.
A spokesman for Mr Alexander said: “We take the control of costs very seriously.
“Staff changeovers meant extra salary costs last year, which it was agreed with Ipsa would be repaid this year.
“The overall expenditure on staffing by the end of the parliament will be within budget.”
Labour’s Frank Doran, the MP for Aberdeen North, went marginally over the limit on staff, by £706, and on accommodation, by £241.
Sir Malcolm Bruce, the veteran Gordon MP, claimed the most for accommodation, at £23,828.
Mr Doran and Sir Malcolm are both standing down at the UK general election in May.
Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael, a Lib Dem, again had the highest transport bill, spending £43,219.28 on travel between London and his constituency in the northern isles.
Mr Carmichael claimed £160 on miscellaneous expenses, recorded as temporary accommodation for a new employee, while Mr Kennedy spent £2,634 on office security, and Ms Whiteford spent £35 on removal costs.
Of all MPs, 78% of the costs were for staff salaries, 11 % was for renting and running constituency offices, 7% covered accommodation, and 4% was travel and subsistence.