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

Votes being counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections at the Emirates Arena, Glasgow.

Votes arrive to be counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections at the P&J Live/TECA, Aberdeen

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer leaving his home following the result in the Hartlepool parliamentary by-election.

Votes being counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections at the Emirates Arena, Glasgow

Votes being counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections at the Emirates Arena, Glasgow

Salmond attends count in Aberdeen

Alba Party leader Alex Salmond attended the count at the P&J Live arena in Aberdeen from the very start of counting at 9am on Friday.

The former first minister is top of his party’s North East Scotland regional list, with the hopes of creating a “supermajority” for independence in the next Scottish Parliament.

On Friday morning he stood at a table in the P&J Live venue with a clipboard as he observed peach regional list ballots being counted, so called because of the colour of the paper they are printed on.

Both votes are being counted concurrently with the Aberdeen Donside constituency result expected first early on Friday afternoon – with the regional result not known until Saturday evening after receiving those figures from Aberdeenshire, Angus and Dundee.

Co-leader of the Scottish Green Party Patrick Harvie arrives at the count for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections at the Emirates Arena, Glasgow.

Votes being counted at the P&J Live/TECA, Aberdeen

Alex Salmond watches votes being counted at the P&J Live/TECA, Aberdeen.

Scottish Election 2021: How to use our interactive Holyrood Election result map

Votes being counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections at Ingliston Highland Centre, Edinburgh

Votes being counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections at Ingliston Highland Centre, Edinburgh

East Lothian count well underway... live reporter Rachel Mackie is on the scene

Votes being counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections at Ingliston Highland Centre, Edinburgh

Votes being counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections at Ingliston Highland Centre, Edinburgh

Coming up at midday - The Scotsman’s political team will host a one-hour livestream to bring you the latest from the Scottish election.

Yousaf arrives at election count in Glasgow’s Emirates Arena

Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s Justice Secretary and a candidate for the Glasgow Pollok constituency, has arrived at the election count in the city’s Emirates Arena.

Speaking to reporters, the SNP candidate said the last six weeks had been a campaign “like no other”.

He said: “We’ve only been able to knock doors for the last three weeks, normally we would have done months and months of canvassing.

“So really strange in that respect, difficult to get a feel on the doors because of that lack of data coming back.”

He said there has been high turnout at many polling stations in his constituency and around the country.

Saying the SNP were feeling buoyant, Mr Yousaf said: “There is people who will take a high turnout as a positive sign for them, but I suspect every party will say that.”

He added: “I think the SNP’s going to have a good night, but I think other parties also I can see there’s an uptick in their vote too.

Votes being counted at Ingliston Highland Centre, Edinburgh

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