Image source, Getty Images

Alba leader Alex Salmond believes his party suffered from the SNP refusing to urge voters to back other pro-independence candidates on their preferences list, after they failed to secure any councillors.

Mr Salmond insists his party are making progress, pointing out that their vote is up, but admits that "we've still got some way to go." He also suggested Alba will benefit strongly if the SNP do not deliver on an independence referendum next year.

"Most councils now will have unionist majorities despite the fact the movement is towards independence. This comes from the dog in a manger attitude of the SNP leadership, 'Vote for us and no-one else'."

Mr Salmond says his party are focused on the next Scottish elections in four years' time.

"I think all Alba lacks just now is the credibility of being able to win elections. I experienced huge warmth towards the Alba message on the campaign trail."

The Scottish National Party leapfrog Labour to become the largest party on Midlothian Council.

The SNP have eight of the 18 councillors after gaining two seats.

Labour remains on seven.

The Scottish Conservatives have three seats, down two from the last election.

Midlothian Council had been a minority Labour administration.

The SNP gain one seat and maintain their position as the largest party on East Dunbartonshire Council.

They have eight of the 22 seats and the Lib Dems have six.

Labour won four, up two and the Scottish Conservatives fell into fourth place by losing three of their six seats.

There is one independent councillor.

The Scottish National Party consolidates its position as the largest group on North Lanarkshire Council.

They gain three seats to hold 36 of the available 77.

Labour remain on 32 while the Tories lose five seats to drop to just five.

There are also three independents and one Scottish Green.

As results keep coming in, it's clear the SNP are on course for another election victory in Scotland. They are now past 400 councillors and making gains. It's the Scottish Conservatives who appear to be facing the biggest setback, losing more than 50 councillors from their 2017 results

The SNP remains the biggest party on North Ayrshire Council but the Tories gain two to move closer.

The SNP won 12 of the 33 seats and the Conservatives 10.

Labour are down two on nine and there is one independent.

The SNP remains the largest group on West Lothian Council, gaining two seats to hold 15 of the 33 available.

Labour are in second on 12.

The Scottish Conservatives drop three to just four seats.

There is one independent and one Lib Dem.

Image source, Reuters

Scottish Labour Anas Sarwar says he is "very confident" his party will be "comfortably" in second place once all the council results are in across Scotland.

Labour have taken control of West Dunbartonshire Council and with 18 of 32 councils declared, have 217 councillors, up 15.

"This is the most positive and cheerful day for Scottish Labour for almost a decade," Mr Sarwar told BBC News 24."

The Scottish National Party remains the largest group on Aberdeen City Council, with 20 of the 45 seats.

Labour in second, having gained two seats to finish with 11.

The Conservatives dropped three seats, down to eight.

The Lib Dems won four and there are two independents.

The council had been run by a coalition of Conservatives, Independents and Labour.

Image source, PA Media

Scotland's first minister has hailed a “seismic” result for the SNP in Glasgow.

Nicola Sturgeon’s party had two councillors elected in the Pollokshields ward of Glasgow City Council, while Tory councillor David Meikle – the husband of former MP Natalie McGarry – lost his seat.

Ms Sturgeon said on Twitter:, external “National/city trends aside, this result is seismic. For years, Pollokshields was the only Tory seat in Glasgow and it seemed we would never take it.”

Elsewhere in the city, leader Susan Aiken was overtaken by the Scottish Greens on first preference votes in the Langside ward.

New candidate Holly Bruce topped the ballot with 3,173 first preference votes, while the SNP’s Ms Aiken received 2,899.

Shettleston’s results saw two Labour councillors voted in at the expense of the SNP, while Scottish Conservative Thomas Kerr retained his position.

Image source, Getty Images

Douglas Ross also dismisses suggestions that his leadership was to blame for the Tories' result, pointing to similar results in London, and says he would stay in position.

Mr Ross declines to call for Mr Johnson's resignation but says the public has sent a very clear message "that they are not happy with the prime minister, they are not happy with Partygate".

"We as a party across the UK have to look at that. I'm sure the prime minister will look at the results but I'm sure we have to do everything possible to support the people in Ukraine."

Image source, Getty Images

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has blamed Partygate for the loss of Conservative councillors across Scotland and the UK.

But he refused to call for the resignation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, saying the situation in Ukraine calls for stability in the UK government.

Mr Ross, who was at his local count in Moray, told the BBC the result across Scotland was "very disappointing".

"From people I've spoken to it's very clear, Partygate was the dominating issue here," he said.

"Where we could get the focus on local issues like here in Moray, people have responded to that.

"But where there have been national issues that dominated, Partygate has struck through and we have suffered as a result of that."

The SNP remains the largest group on Renfrewshire Council, up two to 21.

Labour in second place also gained two to win 15 seats.

The Scottish Conservatives lost three seats to finish with five.

There is one independent councillor and one Lib Dem.

Renfrewshire Council had been a minority SNP administration.

The SNP consolidated its position as the largest group on Fife Council, gaining five seats.

The party now has 34 of the 75 seats.

Labour have 20, down four.

The Scottish Lib Dems were up six at 13.

The Scottish Conservatives lost seven seats and fell below the Lib Dems on just eight.

Fife was run by an SNP/Labour administration.

Graeme Ogston
Tayside and Central Reporter

The SNP have gained overall control of Dundee City Council winning 15 of the local authority's 29 seats.

Labour won eight seats, the Scottish Lib Dems four, and the Scottish Conservatives one seat.

Dundee SNP leader John Alexander said it was a "fantastic" result.

He said: "We've made fantastic inroads into our two key seats, our vote is up across the city after 10 years in power, which is incredible.

"I couldn't be any more happy with how we've performed."

The Scottish National Party has become the largest party on Perth and Kinross Council, gaining one seat to hold 16 of the 40.

The Scottish Conservatives dropped three seats, down to 14.

There are now four independents, two Lib Dems and two Labour.

Perth and Kinross had previously been a Conservative/Lib Dem/Independent administration.

Labour gain one seat to remain the largest party on East Lothian Council, with 10 of the 22 seats.

The SNP are up one to seven.

The Scottish Conservatives lost three seats and now have just four.

The Scottish Greens won one seat.

East Lothian Council had been run by a Labour minority administration.

• West Dunbartonshire: Labour have taken overall control of the council, taking 12 of the 22 wards
• Orkney: the first council to declare a final result - it returned 19 independent councillors and two Scottish Greens
• Stirling: has returned councillors with the same breakdown as 2017. The SNP has seven council seats, the Tories six and Labour five. There's a single Green councillor and an independent
• Shetland: remained mostly independent with 19 of the 23 councillors not belonging to a party
• Comhairle nan Eilean Siar: It has 20 independent councillors, six SNP and one Conservative.There are still two vacancies due to a lack of candidates. However, there will now be two female councillors
• Inverclyde: Labour are the largest party as Alba lose out to the SNP
• East Ayrshire: The Scottish National Party remains the largest group on East Ayrshire Council with 14 of 32 seats
• Scottish Borders: The Tories remain the largest party. The Scottish Greens won their first ever seat in the borders
• South Ayrshire: The Tories lose two seats but remain the largest party
• Moray: The Tories gained three seats to overtake the SNP as the largest party in Moray
• Angus: The SNP has become the largest group on Angus Council after gaining four seats
• Clackmannanshire: The SNP remain the largest party gaining one seat, as the Tories lose two
• East Renfrewshire: The SNP becomes the largest group with six of the 18 seats
• Dundee: The SNP has taken overall control with 15 of the 29 seats

The Scottish National Party has taken overall control of Dundee City Council with 15 of the 29 seats, up one from the last election.

Labour are the second largest party, remaining on nine.

The Lib Dems won four seats, down two, and the Tories won one, also down two.

The council had been run by an SNP/Independent administration.

The SNP has become the largest group on East Renfrewshire Council, with six of the 18 seats.

Labour have five, up two, and the Conservatives also have five, which is down two.

Two independent candidates were elected.

The council had been run by an SNP/Labour/Independent administration.