Edinburgh Pentlands (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Edinburgh Pentlands
Former burgh constituency
for the Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh Pentlands shown within the Lothian electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Population77,633 (2019)[1]
Former constituency
Created1999
Abolished2026
PartyScottish National Party
MSPGordon MacDonald
Council areaCity of Edinburgh
Replaced byEdinburgh South Western, Edinburgh North Western, Edinburgh Southern

Edinburgh Pentlands (Gaelic: Dùn Èideann Pentlands) is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) covering part of the council area of Edinburgh. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. It is one of nine constituencies in the Lothian electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to the nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

The seat has been held by Gordon MacDonald of the Scottish National Party since the 2011 Scottish Parliament election.

As a result of the second periodic review of Scottish Parliament boundaries in 2025, Edinburgh Pentlands will be abolished. The bulk of the seat will form the new constituency of Edinburgh South Western from the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. Some parts of Edinburgh Pentlands will also be transferred to Edinburgh North Western and Edinburgh Southern.[2][3]

Electoral region

See also: Lothian (Scottish Parliament electoral region)

The other eight constituencies of the Lothian region are: Almond Valley, Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh Eastern, Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Edinburgh Southern, Edinburgh Western, Linlithgow and Midlothian North and Musselburgh.

The region includes all of the City of Edinburgh council area, parts of the East Lothian council area, parts of the Midlothian council area and all of the West Lothian council area.

Constituency boundaries and council area

Edinburgh is represented in the Scottish Parliament by six constituencies: Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh Eastern, Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh Southern and Edinburgh Western.

The Edinburgh Pentlands constituency was created at the same time as the Scottish Parliament, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of an existing Westminster constituency. In 2005, however, Scottish Westminster (House of Commons) constituencies were mostly replaced with new constituencies.[4]

The newly formed Edinburgh Pentlands uses the following electoral wards:[5]

Members of the Scottish Parliament

Election Member Party
1999 Iain Gray Labour
2003 David McLetchie Conservative
2011 Gordon MacDonald SNP

Election results

2020s

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Edinburgh Pentlands[6][7][8]
Party Candidate Constituency Regional
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
SNP Gordon MacDonald[a] 16,227 42.4 2.9 12,916 33.7 1.2
Conservative Gordon Lindhurst[b] 12,330 32.3 0.1 10,850 28.3 4.0
Labour Lezley Cameron 6,998 18.3 5.1 6,903 18.0 0.7
Green 3,702 9.7 2.7
Liberal Democrats Fraser Graham 2,213 5.8 0.9 2,150 5.6 1.9
Alba 523 1.4 New
Scottish Family Richard Lucas 462 1.2 New 297 0.8 New
All for Unity 257 0.7 New
Animal Welfare 210 0.5 New
Women's Equality 86 0.2 0.7
Independent Ashley Graczyk 79 0.2 New
Abolish the Scottish Parliament 73 0.2 New
Reform UK 71 0.2 New
Freedom Alliance (UK) 56 0.1 New
UKIP 50 0.1 1.7
Scottish Libertarian 44 0.1 New
Communist 31 0.1 New
SDP 19 0.0 New
Renew 6 0.0 New
Majority 3,897 10.1 2.8
Valid Votes 38,230 38,323
Invalid Votes 119 43
Turnout 38,349 64.9 4.3 38,366 64.9 4.2
SNP hold Swing
Notes
  1. ^ Incumbent member for this constituency
  2. ^ Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency

2010s

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Edinburgh Pentlands [9][10]
Party Candidate Constituency Region
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
SNP Gordon MacDonald[a] 13,181 39.5 2.2 11,690 34.9 4.4
Conservative Gordon Lindhurst[b] 10,725 32.2 0.8 10,796 32.3 12.6
Labour Blair Heary 7,811 23.4 3.2 6,251 18.7 2.2
Green 2,339 7.0 1.7
Liberal Democrats Emma Farthing-Sykes 1,636 4.9 0.3 1,252 3.7 0.2
UKIP 591 1.8 1.2
Women's Equality 311 0.9 New
RISE 126 0.4 New
Solidarity 93 0.3 0.2
Majority 2,456 7.3 1.4
Valid Votes 33,353 33,449
Invalid Votes 137 67
Turnout 33,490 60.6 3.3 33,516 60.7 3.3
SNP hold Swing
Notes
  1. ^ Incumbent member for this constituency
  2. ^ Elected on the party list
2011 Scottish Parliament election: Edinburgh Pentlands[11][12][13]
Party Candidate Constituency Region
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
SNP Gordon MacDonald 11,197 37.3 N/A 11,846 39.3 N/A
Conservative David McLetchie[a] 9,439 31.4 N/A 5,945 19.7 N/A
Labour Ricky Henderson 7,993 26.6 N/A 6,284 20.9 N/A
Independent Margo MacDonald[b] 2,206 7.3 N/A
Green 1,588 5.3 N/A
Liberal Democrats Simon Clark 1,420 4.6 N/A 1,041 3.5 N/A
All-Scotland Pensioners Party 346 1.1 N/A
BNP 201 0.7 N/A
UKIP 175 0.6 N/A
Scottish Christian 122 0.4 N/A
Socialist Labour 117 0.4 N/A
Scottish Socialist 102 0.7 N/A
CPA 56 0.2 N/A
Liberal 49 0.2 N/A
Solidarity 18 0.1 N/A
Independent Ken O'Neil 14 0.0 N/A
Independent David Hogg 6 0.0 N/A
Independent Mev Brown 4 0.0 N/A
Majority 1,758 5.9 N/A
Valid Votes 30,049 30,120
Invalid Votes 107 91
Turnout 30,156 57.3 N/A 30,211 57.4 N/A
SNP win (new boundaries)
Notes
  1. ^ Incumbent member for this constituency
  2. ^ Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency

2000s

2007 Scottish Parliament election: Edinburgh Pentlands[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David McLetchie 12,927 37.6 +0.4
Labour Sheila Gilmore 8,402 24.4 −6.5
SNP Ian McKee 8,234 23.9 +7.1
Liberal Democrats Simon Clark 4,814 14.0 +2.2
Majority 4,525 13.2 +6.9
Turnout 34,377
Conservative hold Swing
2003 Scottish Parliament election: Edinburgh Pentlands
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David McLetchie 12,420 37.2 +8.3
Labour Iain Gray 10,309 30.9 −5.3
SNP Ian McKee 5,620 16.8 −5.4
Liberal Democrats Simon Clark 3,943 11.8 −0.9
Scottish Socialist Frank O'Donnell 1,090 3.3 New
Majority 2,111 6.3 N/A
Turnout 33,382 57.1 −8.9
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +6.8

1990s

1999 Scottish Parliament election: Edinburgh Pentlands
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Iain Gray 14,343 36.2 N/A
Conservative David McLetchie 11,458 28.9 N/A
SNP Stewart Gibb 8,770 22.2 N/A
Liberal Democrats Ian Gibson 5,029 12.7 N/A
Majority 2,885 7.3 N/A
Turnout 39,600 66.0 N/A
Labour win (new seat)

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ "Scottish Parliamentary Constituency (SPC) Population Estimates (2011 Data Zone based)". National Records of Scotland. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers" (PDF). Boundaries Scotland. April 2025. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  3. ^ "Boundary Maps". Boundaries Scotland. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  4. ^ "'The 5th Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland" (PDF). Boundary Commission for Scotland. 21 September 2007. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  5. ^ "First Periodic Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries Final Report" (PDF). Boundaries Scotland. May 2010. p. 138. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Edinburgh Pentlands constituency results". City of Edinburgh Council. 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Edinburgh Pentlands regional results". City of Edinburgh Council. 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  8. ^ "Constituencies A-Z: Edinburgh Pentlands". BBC News. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Edinburgh Pentlands MSP Constituency Results". City of Edinburgh Council. 5 May 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  10. ^ "Lothian regional results". City of Edinburgh Council. 5 May 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  11. ^ "Pentlands MSP Constituency Results 2011". City of Edinburgh Council. 5 May 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  12. ^ "2011 Results of Regional List". City of Edinburgh Council. 5 May 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  13. ^ "Results and turnout at the 2011 Scottish Parliament election". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  14. ^ "Edinburgh Pentlands Election Results 2007". City of Edinburgh Council. 3 May 2007. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
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