Na h-Eileanan an Iar
Countyconstituency for theScottish Parliament
Na h-Eileanan an Iar shown within theHighlands and Islands electoral region and the region shown withinScotland
Population	26,020 (2024)[1]
Electorate	21,769 (2022)[2]
Current constituency
Created	1999
Party	Scottish National Party
MSP	Alasdair Allan
Council area	Na h-Eileanan Siar

Na h-Eileanan an Iar (/nəˈhɪlənənənˈjɪər/;Scottish Gaelic pronunciation:[nəˈhelanənəˈɲiəɾ]), formerly theWestern Isles, is acounty constituency of theScottish Parliament covering thecouncil area ofNa h-Eileanan Siar. It elects oneMember of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by thefirst past the post method of election. Under theadditional-member electoral system used for elections to the Scottish Parliament, it is also one of eight constituencies in theHighlands and Islandselectoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to the eight constituency MSPs, to produce a form ofproportional representation for the region as a whole.^[2]

The seat has been held byAlasdair Allan of theScottish National Party since the2007 Scottish Parliament election.

The Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituency is part of the Highlands and Islands electoral region; the other seven constituencies areArgyll and Bute,Caithness, Sutherland and Ross,Inverness and Nairn,Moray,Orkney,Shetland andSkye, Lochaber and Badenoch.

The region covers most ofArgyll and Bute council area, all of theHighland council area, most of theMoray council area, all of theOrkney Islands council area, all of theShetland Islands council area and all ofNa h-Eileanan Siar.

The Western Isles constituency was created at the same time as the Scottish Parliament, with the name and boundaries of an existingWestminster constituency. It voted for the first time in the1999 Scottish Parliament election. From the2005 United Kingdom general election, however, the name of the Westminster (House of Commons) constituency was changed to Na h-Eileanan an Iar.

The Holyrood constituency coversNa h-Eileanan Siar (the Western Isles council area), comprising its nine wards:Barraigh, Bhatarsaigh, Eirisgeigh agus Uibhist a Deas;Beinn Na Foghla agus Uibhist a Tuath;Na Hearadh agus Ceann a Deas Nan Loch;Sgir’ Uige agus Ceann a Tuath Nan Loch;Sgire an Rubha;Steòrnabhagh a Deas;Steòrnabhagh a Tuath;Loch a Tuath;An Taobh Siar agus Nis.

Geographically, the constituency consists of theOuter Hebridean islands. The major islands areBarra,Benbecula,Lewis andHarris,North Uist andSouth Uist. On the grounds of the remoteness of the constituency from the rest of Scotland, and the difficulties involved in getting from island to island, there is a significantly smaller electorate than in the mainland Scottish Parliament constituencies.^[3]

The seat had been a two-way marginal between theScottish Labour and theScottish National Party for many years. In recent years, however, it has become increasingly safe for the Scottish National Party. Despite that, during the2014 Scottish independence referendum the constituency voted against independence by a margin of 53.42% (10,544) to 46.58% (9,195) in favour on a turnout of 86.2%^[4]

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Na h-Eileanan an Iar^[5]

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Alasdair Allan[a]	7,454	51.4	0.7	6,266	43.11	2.4
	Labour	Shaun Fraser	4,013	27.7	2.1	3,095	21.29	1.8
	Conservative	Gavin Berkenheger	2,116	14.6	3.2	2,591	17.83	6.3
	Green					850	5.85	1.1
	Independent	Callum MacMillan	571	3.9	New
	Scottish Family					501	3.45	New
	Liberal Democrats	Neil Mitchison	353	2.4	0.2	324	2.23	0.1
	Alba					316	2.17	New
	Independent	Andy Wightman[b]				262	1.80	New
	All for Unity					102	0.70	New
	Abolish the Scottish Parliament					39	0.27	New
	Reform					32	0.22	New
	Freedom Alliance (UK)					31	0.21	New
	Scottish Libertarian					27	0.19	New
	Independent	Hazel Mansfield				27	0.19	New
	TUSC					24	0.17	New
	UKIP					24	0.17	1.8
	Restore Scotland					23	0.16	New
Majority			3,441	23.7	2.8
Valid Votes			14,507			14,534
Invalid Votes			86			55
Turnout			14,593	66.4	5.3	14,589	66.3	5.1
	SNPhold		Swing		1.5
Notes ^Incumbent member for this constituency ^Incumbent member on the list forLothian region, having been elected as a member of theScottish Greens in 2016

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Na h-Eileanan an Iar^[6]

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Alasdair Allan[a]	6,874	52.1	13.2	6,024	45.5	11.0
	Labour	Rhoda Grant[b]	3,378	25.6	3.0	3,061	23.1	0.3
	Conservative	Ranald Fraser	1,499	11.4	7.1	1,522	11.5	6.8
	Scottish Christian	John Cormack	1,162	8.8	New	1,238	9.4	2.9
	Green					624	4.7	2.0
	Liberal Democrats	Ken MacLeod	293	2.2	0.4	280	2.1	0.5
	UKIP					260	2.0	1.2
	Independent	James Stockan				113	0.9	New
	Solidarity					57	0.4	0.3
	RISE					54	0.4	New
Majority			3,496	26.5	10.2
Valid Votes			13,206			13,233
Invalid Votes			59			39
Turnout			13,265	61.1	1.2	13,272	61.2	1.2
	SNPhold		Swing		8.1
Notes ^Incumbent member for this constituency ^Incumbent member on theparty list, or for another constituency

2011 Scottish Parliament election: Na h-Eileanan an Iar^[7]

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Alasdair Allan[a]	8,496	65.3	18.7	7,366	56.5
	Labour	Donald Crichton	3,724	28.6	13.0	3,049	23.4
	Scottish Christian					842	6.5
	Conservative	Charlie McGrigor	563	4.3	1.2	616	4.7
	Green					349	2.7
	Liberal Democrats	Peter Morrison	228	1.8	4.5	214	1.6
	All-Scotland Pensioners Party					158	1.2
	Socialist Labour					120	0.9
	UKIP					98	0.8
	BNP					77	0.6
	Scottish Socialist					37	0.3
	Solidarity					16	0.1
	Others					92	0.7
Majority			4,772	36.7	31.7
Valid Votes			13,011			13,034
Invalid Votes			68			59
Turnout			13,079	59.9	1.9	13,093	60.0
	SNPhold		Swing		15.9
Notes ^Incumbent member for this constituency

• "Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituency map"(PDF).Boundaries Scotland. Retrieved7 July 2021.

• Constituencies of the Scottish Parliament
• Politics of the Outer Hebrides
• Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions from 2011
• 1999 establishments in Scotland
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