Today, Thursday 7 May is polling day for elections to The Scottish Parliament.

Polling stations are open from 7am until 10pm.

Many voters in Orkney will already have voted using postal voting.

Counting of the votes begins on Friday 8 May at The Pickaquoy Centre, Kirkwall.

As Orkney is the smallest constituency in Scotland the result will be expected quite quickly. The Highlands and Islands Regional result takes longer to calculate as it is based on the distribution of votes across the Region. The Highlands and Islands Region comprises of: Argyll and Bute; Caithness; Sutherland and Ross; Comhairle nan Eilean Siar; Inverness and Nairn; Moray; Orkney; Shetland; Sky, Lochaber and Badenoch.