'Much more encouraging' result for SNPpublished at 16:19 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

16:19 BST 7 May 2021

Professor Sir John Curtice
Polling expert

Coatbridge is a second much more encouraging result for SNP with no less than 10 point increase in share of vote. Meanwhile, Labour and the Conservatives are down.

It looks as though, for the time being at least, we still cannot rule out the possibility of an SNP overall majority.

In Caithness and Sutherland, the Lib Dems had high hopes of capturing this constituency from the SNP, an area that the Lib Dems represent at Westminster.

However, the five-point increase in the Lib Dem vote has been inadequate to close the gap on an SNP tally that is much the same as it was in 2016.

One of the seats which perhaps the SNP might have lost is now in the SNP tally.

SNP have run the Liberal Democrats remarkably close in Shetland, a traditional Liberal Democrat bastion, with no less than a 19 point swing from the Lib Dems to the SNP.

The Lib Dems have held Shetland with a much reduced majority of 806.

There has been a big swing from the Lib Dems to the SNP of 18.8%.

Full result here

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has comfortably held Glasgow Southside.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar came in second but was 9,000 votes behind Ms Sturgeon.

The SNP's share of the vote was 60.2%, down 1%.

Labour were up to 31%, with a swing of 4.8% from the SNP to Labour.

Full result here

Curtice: SNP may still have chance of overall majoritypublished at 16:13 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

16:13 BST 7 May 2021

Professor Sir John Curtice
Polling expert

This is the first of the nine crucial marginal opposition held seats to declare.

The SNP have secured the small swing required to win it. That is helped by the decision of the Labour incumbent Iain Gray to stand down.

However, this is the first indication that perhaps the SNP do still have a chance of winning an overall majority, but much will rest on the party replicating this result in other key marginal seats while not losing any of their own.

The SNP's Maree Todd has held the Caithness seat despite a strong challenge from the Lib Dems.

There was a swing of 2.6% from the SNP to the Lib Dems, but this was not enough for Willie Rennie's party to take the seat.

Full result here

The SNP's Fulton McGregor has held Coatbridge and Chryston, with a majority that was increased by more than 5,000.

There was a swing from Labour to the SNP of 6.5%.

With an increased turnout of 63% and an increased majority of 13.13% to 26.4%, the majority has risen by more than 5,000 votes.

Full result here

What happens if someone wins in the Scottish election but they are already an MP?published at 16:04 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

16:04 BST 7 May 2021

Question from Seonaid

Should an MP win a seat at Holyrood, there is nothing to stop them continuing to do both jobs at once.

This is known as a “dual mandate” – and there is a fairly long history of it at Holyrood, particularly dating back to 1999 when a number of new MSPs switched across from Westminster. Many of them – including John Swinney, Alex Salmond and Henry McLeish – simply saw out their Westminster terms until 2001.

The idea of “double jobbing” goes both ways too, for example when Mr Salmond won a Westminster seat in 2015 – and stayed on at Holyrood until 2016. There are also a number of MSPs who also serve as local councillors.

However, in recent years the idea of resigning and forcing a by-election for the “extra” seat has become more common, and indeed the SNP now have a rule where MPs must quit in advance before trying for a Holyrood seat. There is a by-election in Airdrie and Shotts next week for that very reason.

You've been getting in touch with your questions on the Scottish election. Political correspondent Philip Sim is on hand to answer your questions. If you have a question for Philip or any of the BBC correspondents and reporters, you can submit questions using the button at the top of this page.

The SNP have gained East Lothian from Labour with a majority of 1,179.

It is the first seat to change hands.

There has been a swing of 0.8% from Labour to the SNP.

There is also a big turnout here up to 2.8%.

Full result here

The SNP's Mairi Gougon wins Angus.

There has been a swing of 0.8% from the Conservatives to the SNP.

Mairi Gougeon has an increased majority, rising to 3,509.

Another impressive turnout, up to 64%.

Full result here

It's an empty counting venue in Argyll and Bute after a fire alert at Lochgilphead.

The hall at Lochgilphead Joint Campus has been evacuated after the fire alarm was triggered.

The Argyll and Bute result was expected to be delivered in "late afternoon" but it is certain to be delayed in some way as a result of unfolding events.

Signs that Salmond 'will fail'published at 15:50 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

15:50 BST 7 May 2021

Professor Sir John Curtice
Polling expert

The first list result in Aberdeen Donside gives Alba just 2% of the vote. Here is a first indication that Alex Salmond's attempt to return to Holyrood will fail.

Aberdeen Donside is one of 10 on the North East Scotland regional list. The SNP came top with 45.2%, the Conservatives got 24.6%, Labour 14.7%, the Greens got 4.9%, the Lib Dems got 4.8% and Alba got 2.1%. However, there are many more results required before we will know how the seats in the region will be distributed.

Image source, PA Media

Former first minister Alex Salmond has been at Aberdeen's P&J arena count since doors opened at 9am. Like all candidates he is allowed to observe - at the required two metre distance - how the counting is going. With clipboard and pen in hand he tries to work out if he and his Alba Party are still in the race. Mr Salmond is standing on the North East Scotland regional list and the results of that will not be known until tomorrow.

The SNP's Michelle Thomson has won Falkirk East with a majority of 7,585 over Labour in second.

There has been a swing from the SNP to Labour of 3%.

Turnout is up to 62.7%, but the SNP majority is down from 25.6% to 19.5%.

Full result here

Image source, Getty Images

Nicola Sturgeon has just arrived at the count in Glasgow and says that, regardless of the outcome, this is a real victory for democracy.

She points out that the SNP getting a majority was always a "very, very long shot".

A majority has always been on a "knife-edge" and never taken for granted, adds the SNP leader.

Ms Sturgeon says at this stage she is "extremely happy and extremely confident that we are on track in the SNP for a fourth consecutive election victory and to have the ability to form a government again.

"That's an extraordinary achievement for any political party."

What is the protocol if there is a draw in any constituency?published at 15:38 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

15:38 BST 7 May 2021

Question from Scott

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

It hasn’t actually happened in a Holyrood race before, although there have been some very close contests.

In the Westminster election of 2017, there were only two votes between the SNP and the Lib Dems in North East Fife.

To start with, there would be a number of recounts to make sure the result really was a dead heat.

After that, the result is decided by drawing lots. It is down to the returning officer to decide exactly how to do this, such as by drawing names out of a hat – but either way the winner is awarded an extra vote and the win.

You've been getting in touch with your questions on the Scottish election. Political correspondent Philip Sim is on hand for the next few minutes to answer your questions. If you have a question for Philip or any of the BBC correspondents and reporters, you can submit questions using the button at the top of this page.

Lisa Summers, our reporter at the count in Edinburgh, reveals the turnouts in Edinburgh Western and Edinburgh Southern were both over 71%, but in Edinburgh Central - taken by Ruth Davidson for the Conservatives in 2016 but a target for both the SNP and Labour - was just under 63%.

Turnouts in Glasgow were slightly less than the capital, but our reporter Aileen Clarke says that all seats in the city saw an increase on five years ago.

There was a turnout of nearly 60% in the Glasgow Southside seat of first minister Nicola Sturgeon, also contested by Scottish labour leader Anas Sarwar.

Can the SNP secure a majority?published at 15:32 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

15:32 BST 7 May 2021

Lynsey Bews
BBC Scotland political correspondent

One of the key questions is whether the SNP can secure a majority at Holyrood. That’s only been done once before – in 2011 when the party won 69 seats.

To do so, the party’s looking to make gains in marginal unionist constituencies, including Dumbarton, Edinburgh Central and Ayr, but early signs of anti-SNP tactical voting in seats already declared mean there are questions over how achievable that will be.

Image source, Getty Images

In 2016 the Scottish Conservatives managed to oust Scottish Labour from second place. But can the Tories cement their position as the main opposition party, or will Labour regain lost ground?

The parties have new leaders and this election is a key test for both. Douglas Ross will take heart from the increased Tory vote share in Aberdeen Donside and Banffshire and Buchan Coast, while Anas Sarwar will be pleased to see Labour’s share go up in Clydebank and Milngavie.

What happens with the smaller parties on the regional list could prove crucial when it comes to the final make-up of the Holyrood chamber.

Some polling indicates the Scottish Greens are on course to make gains – perhaps benefiting from SNP supporters voting tactically to try to bolster the number of pro-independence MSPs. Meanwhile Alex Salmond’s Alba party is also targeting the same second regional votes.

Here's a round-up of the early results and developments:

• No seats have changed hands so far - with nine constituencies declared, the SNP have held eight and the Lib Dems one
• Orkney was first to declare at 13:11 as Lib Dem Liam McArthur retained the seat
• Deputy First Minister John Swinney was the first big name re-elected when he increased his majority in Perthshire North
• The closest result has been in Banffshire and Buchan Coast - an SNP hold but the Conservatives were only 772 votes behind, after increasing their share of the vote by 10.7%
• While the SNP held Clydebank & Milngavie, Labour increased its share by 9.7%. But there was a swing to the SNP in Dundee West where Joe FitzPatrick saw his share up by 3.8%
• A common theme is that turnout is high - in some constituencies up 7 or 8% on the last Holyrood vote
• A power cut has disrupted counting in Dumfries, but electricity was restored just after 15:00
• Two members of the Liberal Party - a small party not affiliated to the Lib Dems - were ejected from the count after questioning the SNP's Humza Yousaf about the treatment of women in Pakistan. They were seen making military salutes as they were escorted away.

The SNP's Bill Kidd has won Glasgow Anniesland, with an increased majority of 6,588.

Labour were in second place.

Mr Kidd sees his majority reduced in terms of percentage from 21.2% to 19.9%

There's only a small swing of 0.7% from the SNP to Labour.

The turnout is up to 58.3%.

Full result here

Kilmarnock 'casts doubt' on overall SNP majoritypublished at 15:24 British Summer Time 7 May 2021

15:24 BST 7 May 2021

Professor Sir John Curtice
Polling expert

Here is another result that continues to cast doubt on whether the SNP will get an overall majority. There is a slight swing away from the SNP, when what the party needs is a small swing in its direction.

With seven seats declared, the SNP vote is so far down by two points while the Conservative vote is up by two points and the Labour vote is holding steady.