The SNP will form the next Holyrood government having won 64 seats - just one short of an overall majority
Party leader and first minister Nicola Sturgeon says she wants to see the country through the pandemic and then "give people in Scotland the right to choose their future"
With all results declared, the Scottish Conservatives have secured 31 seats (no change); Scottish Labour 22 (-2); Scottish Greens 8 (+2) and Scottish Lib Dems 4 (-1)
Smaller parties, including former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond's Alba and George Galloway's All for Unity, won nothing
The turnout of 66% is the highest since the parliament was established in 1999
Natalie Don has won Renfrewshire North and West for the SNP with a slightly reduced majority of 7,307.
Labour came second after a swing from SNP of 2.6%.
The turnout was up by nearly 7%.
Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent
Things are still all over the shop in this election, with big swings going in all sorts of directions.
However, overall, things are now steadily drifting in the direction of the SNP.
Where they have had a scare, in seats like Banffshire and Buchan Coast or in Caithess, Sutherland and Ross, they are winning.
Where they need to pick up seats from the opposition, in seats like East Lothian, they are winning.
The matter of a majority is ultimately going to come down to a handful of key marginal seats, and we are yet to have results from the bulk of them.
But as things stand, Nicola Sturgeon and her troops will be very happy with the direction of travel.
Rona Mackay has won Strathkelvin and Bearsden for the SNP with an increased majority of 11,484.
The Scottish Conservatives were second and Labour third.
There was a swing of 2.1% form the Tories to the SNP.
Ms Mackay sees an increase in her majority of more than 3,000 votes, and the turnout is also up.
Former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson says one thing is clear so far: There are no universal swings in any direction.
"This is very much localised campaigning and localised targeting of seats and votes and candidates," she says on the BBC One results programme.
She says that, at some point in the near future, Scotland has to get past constitutional politics.
She says: "Somebody has to stand up for the two million people that voted to stay part of the United Kingdom and if that falls to the Scottish Conservatives then we will do so because we believe in the vote of 2014.
"If the Labour party and the lib Dems don't want to stand up for it that's up to them but we will do that."
Image source, ReutersA staff member empties the ballot box at a count in Glasgow to get counting started this morning
Image source, PAAs part of this year's count, extra precautions have been put in place to prevent the spread of Covid, with bottles of hand sanitiser being handed out in Glasgow.
Image source, PAAlba party leader Alex Salmond watched counters getting ready to begin in Aberdeen
View more pictures from around the counts here.
Fiona Hyslop has held Linlithgow for the SNP with an increased majority of 10,105.
Labour were second and the Conservatives third.
There was a swing of 1.4% from the SNP to Labour.
Turnout was up. The SNP's majority was down in terms of percentage, but up in terms of votes to 10,105.
Keith Brown has held Clackmannanshire and Dunblane for the SNP with an increased majority of 7,551.
The Scottish Conservatives were second and Labour third.
Three was a swing of 1.4% from the SNP to the Tories. As with many constituencies, the turnout is up.
Professor Sir John Curtice
Polling expert
Between them, the two constituencies of Glasgow Maryhill and Hamilton continue the pattern of little in the way of change since the outcome of the 2016 election.
So far in the 21 seats declared, no party's vote is up or down by more than one point as compared with 2016.
If this pattern continues the SNP will need to get an above average swing in the crucial marginal seats if they are going to reach the 65 mark.
The SNP's Christina McKelvie has held Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse with a slightly reduced majority of 4,582.
Labour's Monica Lennon was second.
There was a swing of 3.1% from the SNP to Labour, with an increase in turnout of more than 10%.
Here's a round-up of the early results and other developments:
The SNP's Bob Doris has held Glasgow Maryhill with an increased majority of 7,924.
Labour came second.
There was a swing from Labour to the SNP of 2.4%.
There has been an increase in Mr Doris' majority, and the turnout is also up.
Andrew Kerr
Scottish political correspondent
The out-going SNP MSP Alex Neil described the current state of results as a “mixed picture”.
There’s no better way of describing it.
The Conservatives and Labour have both seen uplifts in their votes.
For the Tories, in Banffshire and Buchan Coast they slashed the SNP majority.
For Labour, they doubled their vote against Nicola Sturgeon in Glasgow Southside.
And it was +5% for the Liberal Democrats in Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross.
But it’s not enough – and the SNP has trumped them all with the first gain in this election – East Lothian.
Despite East Lothian’s name, it’s in the South Scotland region and the SNP have three seats there already – so they may now lose one on the list.
The vagaries of the system mean an SNP majority is still possible – but not certain.
It’s still a mixed picture.
The SNP's George Adam has held Paisley, with an increased majority of 6,075.
Labour came in second place.
Turnout was also up in Airdrie, where there was a small swing of 0.1% from SNP to Labour.
Mr Adam's majority increased by just over 800 votes.
Professor Sir John Curtice
Polling expert
This is a remarkable personal victory for Willie Rennie in a constituency that is well known for voting for the individual rather than the party - thanks not least to the dons of St Andrews' University.
This means that the Liberal Democrats have successfully defended three of the four seats they are defending at this election.
The 11-point decline in the Conservative vote is again typical of the apparent willingness of their voters at least to vote tactically.
The SNP's Neil Gray has won the Airdrie and Shotts seat.
That will be a relief to Mr Gray who quit as the area's MP in order to contest the seat.
Mr Gray got 50.6% of the vote but his majority over Labour in second was reduced.
Willie Rennie says he will work hard for the next five years and give North East Fife a voice in the parliament.
The Scottish Lib Dems leader adds that he hopes everyone hears the message from the voters that "now is not the moment for another referendum".
He says that message must be listened to "very, very clearly".
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Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats Willie Rennie has held his North East Fife seat with an increased majority of 7,448.
There was a swing of 4.2% from the SNP, who came second, to the Lib Dems.
Turnout rose to 68%, and there was an increase in the majority for Mr Rennie of more than 8%.
Nicola Sturgeon on the election results and the SNP's record
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon says at these very early stages "the SNP appears to be on track for a fourth consecutive election victory and to be on course to have the privilege of forming a government again."
The SNP leader adds: "If that is indeed the outcome of this election, I pledge today to get back to work immediately to continue to steer this country through the crisis of Covid, to lead this country into recovery from Covid.
"And then, when the time is right, to offer this country the choice of a better future."
Image source, PA MediaNicola Sturgeon says this election has been conducted in the most challenging and difficult of circumstances and she thanks everyone involved around the country.
After the usual thank yous, Ms Sturgeon thanks Anas Sarwar in person and says it can be difficult to campaign against someone you like.
She thanks the Glasgow Southside electorate, which is the most multi-cultural constituency in the country.
Quote MessageYesterday the constituency was targeted by far-right thugs, the far-right thug that led that confrontation got 46 votes and I am proud that once again that Glasgow Southside has shown the racists and the fascists that they are not welcome in Glasgow Southside, they are not welcome in Glasgow and they are not welcome anywhere in Scotland. And let that be a note of unity.
Nicola Sturgeon, SNP leader
Professor Sir John Curtice
Polling expert
Unsurprisingly, Nicola Sturgeon has retained her seat, but Anas Sarwar has achieved a highly credible nine-point increase in his share of the vote, seemingly assisted by switching from third place Conservative voters.
The Conservative vote fell by seven points.
