Scottish Election results 2021 RECAP: Alex Salmond concedes Alba unlikely to win seats | SNP's Angus Robertson takes Edinburgh Central from Scottish Conservatives | Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney win constituencies | Labour's Jackie Baillie holds onto Dumbarton | Turnout surges | Interactive constituency map

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The count for perhaps the most consequential Scottish Parliament election in history has begun.

Take a look back on the events as they happened throughout the day.

Scottish Election 2021 RECAP: Election results and updates from across Scotland

Key Events

  • Angus Robertson takes Edinburgh Central from Tories
  • Sturgeon plays down chances of SNP majority
  • SNP take Ayr from Tories in tight race
  • Salmond concedes Alba unlikely to win seats
  • SNP gain East Lothian from Labour

Evelyn Tweed has been elected MSP for Stirling.

The SNP have snatched the seat of Ayr from the Scottish Conservatives by just 170 votes.

Siobhan Brown won 18,881 votes, compared to John Scott’s 18,711.

Scottish Labour trailed on 4,766, followed by the Lib Dems on 808 votes.

Mr Scott has held the seat since 2000.

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Tories hold Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire

Rachael Hamilton has been re-elected in Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire.

SNP majority in Banff and Buchan slashed

SNP held onto its stronghold of Banffshire and Buchan Coast, but a surge in Tory votes in the North East fishing communities slashed its majority to just 772 votes.

For the SNP, a tough fight was anticipated here. For the Tories, they failed to get over the line and capitalise on growing levels of Conservative support – and backing for Brexit – in recent times.

The constituency was held by SNP minister Stewart Stevenson since it was formed in 2011, when he took 67 per cent of the vote.

In 2016, the nationalist majority remained at a comfortable 6,583 (55.1 per cent), but that lead was cut away as the Tory vote shored up.

Karen Adam, an Aberdeenshire councillor and carer, managed to hold the seat for nationalists with 45.1 per cent of the vote and 14,920 votes.

Conservative candidate Mark Findlater, a councillor and former soldier, took 14,148 votes or 42.78 per cent – up around 10 per cent on the previous election.

The seat, which includes the fishing ports of Buckie, Peterhead and Fraserburgh, returned a high level of Brexit support, with one analysis suggesting that 54 per cent of voters in the constituency backed pulling out of the EU in 2016.

Ms Adam, 45, said she was “not particularly surprised” how tight the result had been.

She said: “I really do feel that this is a seat that perhaps the Tories should have been able to walk in terms of their Brexit deal, but it just shows that that has been absolutely rejected.

SNP hold Argyll and Bute

The SNP’s Jenni Minto will replace her outgoing colleague Michael Russell after winning the contest for Argyll and Bute.

Rennie ‘humbled’ by resounding win

Willie Rennie says he has been "humbled" by his record majority in North East Fife, with a victory that doubled his advantage and netted 55% of the votes.

The Scottish Lib Dem leader scored a 7,448 vote advantage over the SNP's Rhuaraidh Fleming, up from his lead of 3,465 in 2016.

Read the full story.

Kate Forbes re-elected with huge majority

Kate Forbes has been re-elected in Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, with a huge with a huge majority of more than 15,000 votes.

The Finance Secretary was first elected to the seat in 2016.

David Torrance has been re-elected in Kirkcaldy.

The Scotsman’s Conor Matchett on Edinburgh Central race