Ballot boxes have begun arriving at sorting sites across the north and north-east as the nation casts its vote in 2022 UK local elections.
Party leaders across the country have been putting forth their agenda to voters who will determine the outcome of over 1,200 seats across 32 Scottish councils.
The polls opened at 8am on Thursday, May 5 and closed at 10pm, and now ballot boxes have started arriving ready to be counted.
The SNP are trying to maintain their position as the largest party across all Scottish councils despite facing criticism over the Ferguson Marine ferry debacle.
The Scottish Conservatives, who finished in second place in the previous election in 2017, will hope to gain seats amidst public anger over Partygate in Westminster.
Following the 2017 local elections, Aberdeen City Council formed from a coalition of Conservatives and Labour despite the SNP having the most seats.
Independents, Labour and the Liberal Democrats merged to create a cooperative administration that would form the Highland Council.
The count for the Highland Council will take place at the Inverness Leisure Centre, while ballot boxes for Aberdeen will be counted at the P&J Live arena.
The Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland formed councils entirely made up of independents.
Millions of votes will be counted in the coming hours to determine who will form the new council administrations in Scotland.
Results for the Aberdeen City Council are due to be released at 3pm on Friday, while Highland’s result is due in at 3.45pm.
Only time will tell if there is any shift in the political power dynamic in the north and north-east councils.
