It is now less than a year to go until the 2026 Scottish Parliament election - and the starting gun has been well and truly fired.
The leaders of the main political parties have spent the past week already setting out their stalls and their pitches to woo voters over the next 12 months.
The SNP also unveiled its list of candidates for the constituency seats, with a number of familiar names making the cut.
But there are some seats which will be interesting ones to watch, with high-profile names after a spot and tight margins being contested.
Here are 16 seats that will be either hotly contested, involve high-profile names or will be ones to watch for next year’s count.
1. Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine
This is the seat SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has his eye on. The Aberdeen South MP would have to give up his seat in Westminster if he does win, but will most likely be rewarded with a government job if he is successful. Even though his candidacy was only officially confirmed this week, there have already been many newspaper headlines about this seat, particularly as some claimed Mr Flynn tried to push current MSP Audrey Nicoll aside. And let’s not forget - Ms Nicoll’s majority from 2021 was only 1,671 and Mr Flynn’s vote share in the 2024 general election dropped by 12.5 per cent. | House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA Wire
2. Caithness, Sutherland and Ross
The far-north highlands are traditionally a Lib Dem heartland, but government minister Maree Todd held onto this seat for the SNP in 2021. But the Lib Dems have already publicly declared they are targeting this seat for themselves in 2026. The party has held this area in Westminster for a number of years now and the Lib Dems think they can use this support to overturn Ms Todd’s 2,591 majority to win it for themselves. Photo: Andrew Milligan/PA
3. Glasgow Southside
Nicola Sturgeon has held this seat since 2011, and in 2021 enjoyed a majority of almost 9,500. But after 27 years in the Scottish Parliament, the former first minister is not standing for re-election. The SNP is hoping Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart can easily step into her shoes and hold onto this seat for the nationalists. In 2021 Ms Stewart won the Glasgow Kelvin seat by 5,458 votes. Photo: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
4. Dundee City East and Dundee City West
Dundee is the SNP’s heartland - one of only two areas to vote Yes in 2014, one of the few areas the SNP managed to cling onto in last year’s general election, and home to Finance Secretary Shona Robison’s seat. But Ms Robison, who has been an MSP since devolution in 1999, is leaving politics in 2026, leaving the seat open for the taking. The SNP is putting its faith in Stephen Gethins, the MP for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, to keep hold of this seat. In 2021 the nationalists secured comfortable majorities in both of these seats so opposition candidates will be looking to see if they can break through here, not least Scottish Labour’s Michael Marra MSP. Photo: Robert Perry/PA