It was only the second time voters had elected the Scottish Parliament, but on May 1, 2003, they chose a more politically diverse range of MSPs than Scotland has seen before or since.
The two biggest parties, Labour and the SNP, both lost seats and instead a sizeable number of Greens, Socialists and independents were elected to the parliament’s benches. When all the votes were counted, Labour had 50 seats, the SNP 27, the Tories 18 and Lib Dems 17, but there were seven Greens and six Scottish Socialists, where before they had one MSP each. Margo MacDonald was elected as an independent Lothian MSP, the equally independent Dennis Canavan was re-elected in Falkirk West, there was an MSP representing the Scottish Senior Citizens Party and another from the Save Stobhill Hospital campaign.
The Labour-Lib Dem coalition remained in power, but the character of the parliament over the next four years was different from before. And the number of independents grew when an SNP MSP and a Tory MSP were expelled from their parties.
Here are 13 pictures of the 2003 campaign and the election night as the results were declared.
. Green delight
Robin Harper, Scotland's first Green parliamentarian, celebrates with Mark Ballard, who had just been elected as the party's second MSP for Lothian alongside Mr Harper. The Greens made other gains across Scotland, increasing their total representation in the Scottish Parliament from two to seven. Mr Harper served as co-convener of the party until 2008 and remained an MSP until steping down at the 2011 election. Mr Ballard served only one term before leaving the parliament in 2007. Scottish Parliament elections 2003 - Meadowbank Count.The Greens' Robin Harper (l) and Mark Ballard salute their victories as list MSPs for the Lothians.Pic.... Neil Hanna Scottish Parliament elections 2003 - Meadowbank Count. The Greens' Robin Harper (l) and Mark Ballard salute their victories as list MSPs for the Lothians. Pic.... Neil Hanna Photo: Neil Hanna
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John Swinney was leader of the SNP at the 2003 election. Here, he is setting off on a train from Waverley station to Glasgow Queen Street during the campaign. The SNP lost eight seats in the election, taking them down to 27 MSPs. Mr Swinney would step down the following year, when Alex Salmond returned to the leadership. When the SNP won power in 2007 Mr Swinney became a key figure in the government, only opting to go to the backbenches earlier this year. Photo: Andrew Stuart
. Lib Dem gain
Lib Dem Mike Pringle shows his delight at winning Edinburgh South from Labour by a narrow majority of 158. Looking on at the declaration of results at Meadowbank are the previous MSP, Labour's Angus MacKay, and the SNP candidate Alex Orr. Mr Pringle, who had served as a Morningside councillor, was re-elected in 2007 but lost the seat in 2011. Photo: Neil Hanna
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Labour First Minister Jack McConnell talks to union protesters during a campaign visit to Edinburgh. Albie O'Neill, a negotiator for the PCS union and staff from Scottish Natural Heritage were opposing plans to relocate SNH headquarters from Edinburgh to Inverness. Labour lost six seats at the election, reducing them to 50 MSPs, but Mr McConnell - who had become First Minister of the Labour-Lib Dem coalition government in November 2001- remained in office for another term before losing power narrowly to the SNP in 2007. Photo: Jon Savage
9. Balloon time
Deputy First Minister and Scottish Lib Dem leader Jim Wallace releases some yellow balloons before leaving Edinburgh on a whistle-stop two-day tour of Scotland to mark the start of his party's campaign. The Lib Dems finished with the same number of seats and had a second term in coalition government with Labour before the SNP won power in 2007. But Mr Wallace stepped down as party leader and Deputy First Minister in 2005, to be succeeded by Nicol Stephen. Mr Wallace later became a life peer, served as Lord Advocate in the UK Conservative-Lib Dem coalition and was leader of the Lib Dems in the Lords. Photo: Jon Savage
10. Labour loss
Labour MSP and minister Iain Gray lost his Edinburgh Pentlands seat to Scottish Tory leader David McLetchie. It was a significant win for the Tories since they had failed to win a single constituency at the first Scottish Parliament election in 1999, though winning 18 list seats. But it was a hard blow for Mr Gray who found himself out of parliament after just four years. He went to work as an adviser to Alistair Darling and returned to the Scottish Parliament as MSP for East Lothian in 2007, becoming leader of the Labour group the following year. He led the party until 2011 and stayed on as an MSP until 2021. hard blow Photo: Neil Hanna
11. Leader line-up
The party chiefs assemble for a BBC programme The Leaders Debate hosted by Anne MacKenzie. Lib Dem leader Jim Wallace and SNP counterpart John Swinney chat before the event gets under way. Also taking part were Labour's Jack McConnell and David McLetchie of the Conservatives. Photo: Donald MacLeod
12. Exciting times
Green Robin Harper and Independent Margo MacDonald are so thrilled after getting re-elected they dance a jig at the Edinburgh count at Meadowbank. They were both returned as list MSPs for Lothian as part of the "rainbow" parliament made up of not just the four big parties, but also significant numbers of Greens, Socialists and independents. Photo: Neil Hanna