Edinburgh Central
Burghconstituency for theScottish Parliament
Edinburgh Central shown within theLothian electoral region and the region shown withinScotland
Electorate	64,114 (2022)[1]
Current constituency
Created	1999
Party	Scottish National Party
MSP	Angus Robertson
Council area	City of Edinburgh

Edinburgh Central (Gaelic:Dùn Èideann Meadhain) is aburgh constituency of theScottish Parliament covering part of thecouncil area ofEdinburgh.^[2] It elects oneMember of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by theplurality (first past the post) method of election. Under theadditional-member electoral system used for elections to the Scottish Parliament, it is also one of nine constituencies in theEdinburgh and Lothians Eastelectoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to the nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form ofproportional representation for the region as a whole.^[3]

The constituency was created with the name and boundaries of theEdinburgh Central UK Parliament constituency. Since 1999, the constituency MSP has been an ex officio member of the board of trustees of theNational Library of Scotland. From 1925 until 1999, that role had been taken by theMember of Parliament (MP) for the Westminster constituency.^{[citation needed]} It was one of the few areas to vote "Yes" in the2011 UK Alternative Vote referendum held on the same day as the2011 Scottish Parliament election.

The seat has been held byAngus Robertson of theScottish National Party since the2021 Scottish Parliament election.

The other eight constituencies of the Edinburgh and Lothians East region areEast Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs,Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent,Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith,Edinburgh North Western,Edinburgh Northern,Edinburgh Southern,Edinburgh South Western andMidlothian North.^[3] The region includes all of theCity of Edinburgh andEast Lothian council areas, and parts of theMidlothian council area.^[4]

Prior tosecond periodic review of Scottish Parliament boundaries in 2025, the constituency was one of nine in theLothians electoral region. The other eight constituencies of the Lothian region wereAlmond Valley,Edinburgh Eastern,Edinburgh Northern and Leith,Edinburgh Pentlands,Edinburgh Southern,Edinburgh Western,Linlithgow andMidlothian North and Musselburgh. The region included all of theCity of Edinburgh council area, parts of theEast Lothian council area, parts of theMidlothian council area and all of theWest Lothian council area.

Map of boundaries between 2011-2025

Edinburgh is represented in the Scottish Parliament by seven constituencies: Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent (which also includes part of East Lothian), Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith, Edinburgh North Western, Edinburgh Northern, Edinburgh Southern, and Edinburgh South Western. Following the second periodic review of Scottish Parliament boundaries in 2025, the Edinburgh Central constituency covers the followingelectoral wards ofEdinburgh Council:^[2]

• Sighthill/Gorgie (shared with Edinburgh South Western);
• Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart (shared with Edinburgh South Western);
• Morningside (shared with Edinburgh Southern);
• City Centre (entire ward);
• Southside/Newington (shared with Edinburgh Southern).

The Edinburgh Central constituency was created at the same time as the Scottish Parliament, in1999, with the name and boundaries of an existingWestminster constituency. In2005, however, Scottish Westminster (House of Commons) constituencies were mostly replaced with new constituencies.^[5]

As part of theFirst Periodic Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries the boundaries of the constituency were changed ahead of the2011 Scottish Parliament election. Each electoral ward used in the creation of the redrawn Central was split, being shared with neighbouring constituencies.^[6]

• Inverleith (shared withEdinburgh Northern and Leith andEdinburgh Western)
• Corstorphine/Murrayfield (shared with Edinburgh Western)
• Sighthill/Gorgie (shared withEdinburgh Pentlands andEdinburgh Southern)
• Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart (shared with Edinburgh Southern)
• Morningside (shared with Edinburgh Southern)
• City Centre (shared withEdinburgh Eastern)
• Southside/Newington (shared with Southern)

The second periodic review of Scottish Parliament boundaries in 2025 led to further boundary changes, resulting in the current constituenct, which will first be contested at the2026 Scottish Parliament election.

The Edinburgh Central constituency is situated in the central-north of the City of Edinburgh. The constituency is a major tourist, financial and retail centre, covering Edinburgh'sOld andNew Towns,Princes Street,Haymarket,Edinburgh Castle,Holyrood Castle and theScottish Parliament building itself.

The north and west of the constituency is very affluent, covering Victorian suburbs such asCraigleith,Murrayfield,Stockbridge and Orchard Brae, in addition to Edinburgh's well-offWest End. There is some deprivation towards the south and east of the constituency aroundDalry,Dumbiedykes and in patches of Edinburgh's Old Town, although overall the constituency is very affluent.^[7]

In the2007 City of Edinburgh local council election, the Liberal Democrats emerged as the largest party in wards covered by the Edinburgh Central constituency. In the2012 local election, the Conservatives and Scottish National Party formed the two largest parties in the area. The Conservatives were ahead in 6 of the 8 electoral wards covering the Edinburgh Central constituency in the2017 City of Edinburgh local council election.

Traditionally this constituency has been represented by the Labour Party, with the Liberal Democrats forming the main opposition. From the formation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 until the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, the constituency of Edinburgh Central was represented by Labour's Sarah Boyack. With a re-arrangement of the constituency boundaries in 2011, which would have been won by the Liberal Democrats in 2007, the constituency narrowly returned the SNP's Marco Biagi, who gained the constituency with a slender majority of 237 votes. In 2016 the Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, Ruth Davidson, gained the constituency from the SNP with a majority of 610 votes. No candidate has ever won over 40% of the vote in the constituency since its establishment.

In the UK Parliament, theEdinburgh Central constituency was represented by the Labour Party almost continuously from the1945 UK general election until the constituency was abolished in2005, voting Conservative once in1983.

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Edinburgh Central^[8][9][10]

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Angus Robertson	16,276	39.0	10.4	12,476	29.9	3.7
	Conservative	Scott Douglas	11,544	27.7	2.7	9,766	23.4	5.7
	Labour	Maddy Kirkman	6,839	16.4	5.7	6,866	16.4	0.8
	Green	Alison Johnstone[a]	3,921	9.4	4.2	7,604	18.2	1.2
	Liberal Democrats	Bruce Wilson	2,555	6.1	1.2	3,075	7.4	1.4
	Independent	Bonnie Prince Bob	363	0.9	New
	Alba					639	1.5	New
	All for Unity					279	0.7	New
	Animal Welfare					179	0.4	New
	Women's Equality					161	0.4	1.8
	Scottish Family					154	0.4	New
	Freedom Alliance (UK)					102	0.2	New
	Scottish Libertarian	Tam Laird	137	0.3	0.0	93	0.2	New
	Communist					90	0.2	New
	Reform					88	0.2	New
	Independent	Ashley Graczyk				75	0.2	New
	Abolish the Scottish Parliament					48	0.1	New
	SDP					33	0.1	New
	UKIP	Donald Mackay	78	0.2	New	30	0.1	1.1
	Renew					18	0.0	New
Majority			4,732	11.3	N/A
Valid Votes			41,713			41,776
Invalid Votes			121			59
Turnout			41,834	62.7	5.2	41,835	62.7	5.2
	SNPgain fromConservative		Swing		6.6
Notes ^Incumbent member on theparty list, or for another constituency

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Edinburgh Central^[11][12]

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Ruth Davidson[a]	10,399	30.4	15.4	9,946	29.1	13.2
	SNP	Alison Dickie	9,789	28.6	4.1	8,962	26.2	3.8
	Labour	Sarah Boyack[a]	7,546	22.1	9.8	5,899	17.3	2.3
	Green	Alison Johnstone[b]	4,644	13.6	New	5,799	17.0	2.6
	Liberal Democrats	Hannah Bettsworth	1,672	4.9	15.6	2,048	6.0	3.7
	Women's Equality					743	2.2	New
	UKIP					395	1.2	0.6
	RISE					284	0.8	New
	Scottish Libertarian	Tom Laird	119	0.3	New
	Solidarity					90	0.3	0.1
Majority			610	1.8	N/A
Valid Votes			34,169			34,166
Invalid Votes			107			68
Turnout			34,276	57.5	3.0	34,234	57.5	2.8
	Conservativegain fromSNP		Swing
Notes ^abIncumbent member on theparty list, or for another constituency ^Elected on theparty list

• Politics of Edinburgh

• "Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers"(PDF). Boundaries Scotland. April 2025. Retrieved26 November 2025.

• "Edinburgh Central constituency map (2026 borders)"(PDF). Boundaries Scotland. Retrieved15 December 2025.
• "Edinburgh Central constituency map (2011 borders)"(PDF).Boundaries Scotland. Retrieved5 July 2021.

• Constituencies of the Scottish Parliament
• Constituencies in Edinburgh
• 1999 establishments in Scotland
• Constituencies established in 1999
• Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions 1999–2011
• Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions from 2011
• Gorgie
• Old Town, Edinburgh
• New Town, Edinburgh

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