Skye Councillor Ruraidh Stewart named as Scottish Conservative candidate for Inverness and Nairn where he will face Labour’s Shaun Fraser, Lib Dem Neil Alexander, the SNP’s Emma Roddick and independent Duncan Macpherson
The Scottish Conservative Party has announced the Skye Councillor Ruraidh Stewart as the party’s candidate for Inverness and Nairn in the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.
The announcement was made at a well-attended meeting of local members in Inverness with the seat seen as highly competitive after incumbent MSP Fergus Ewing announced he could not stand for the SNP in 2026 – though he said he may stand as an independent.
He will be going up against Labour’s Shaun Fraser, Lib Dem Neil Alexander, the SNP’s Emma Roddick and independent candidate and fellow Highland councillor Duncan Macpherson.
According to the party Cllr Stewart, who lives, works as well as being born and raised in the Highlands, “made history” in 2022 by becoming the first Conservative elected to represent Skye at Highland Council.
He is the leader of the Conservative group at the council where he has become a thorn in the side of the Independent-SNP administration.
Mr Stewart’s campaign will focus on restoring trust in government, reversing centralisation, and delivering for Highland communities.
"I am honoured to have been selected as the Scottish Conservative candidate for Inverness and Nairn," he said.
"Other than my time studying in St Andrews, the Highlands have always been home. I've lived here and worked here and I understand the challenges we face but I also see the resilience, pride, and potential in our communities and I’m committed to standing up for them in Holyrood.
"Our communities deserve support that’s flexible, local, and respectful of their unique needs. Sadly, we’ve seen too much centralisation under the SNP—decisions being made in Edinburgh that simply don’t fit the realities of life in the Highlands.
“It’s time to bring power and trust back to our local areas, where we know what works best for our families, our services, and our future."
He continued: "Let’s be honest about where things stand. The A9 was supposed to be fully dualled by 2025—now we’re being told it might not be finished until 2035, or even later.
“At Raigmore Hospital, one in five patients are waiting more than 12 weeks just to be seen as outpatients. NHS Highland is under real strain, with staffing shortages reaching 25 per cent in some of our most remote communities.
“Meanwhile, roads continue to deteriorate and ferries sit idle in shipyards, all while SNP ministers seem more focused on spinning headlines than actually fixing the problems that matter to people here in the Highlands."
He added: "People in Inverness, Nairn, and across the Highlands aren’t asking for the moon. They just want roads that are safe, healthcare that’s accessible, and local services that actually work. They deserve a government that listens, acts, and delivers."
