A “tight battle” between campaigners on both side of the Brexit debate came to a close with Aberdeenshire voting to remain part the European Union.
A total of 139,014 people took to polling stations across the region to have their say on the UK’s membership of the EU.
In the end, the Remain campaign won with 76,445 votes to the Leave camp’s 62,516 – with 53 votes rejected.
Last night Vote Leave campaigners described areas of Aberdeenshire as a “heartland” for their cause, pointing to large support in fishing ports along the Banffshire and Buchan Coast.
Right from the off, the Remain and Leave camps at the Aberdeenshire count at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC) predicted a tight local contest.
Banff and Buchan Coast SNP MSP and Remain campaigner, Stewart Stevenson, said: “I think it is a good result for Aberdeenshire, clearly it was always going to be a tough area because of fishing as a topic.
“But we have had a decisive vote in favour of remaining in the EU joining every other in Scotland in supporting that point of view.
“Scotland has distinctly said we stay in the EU. We’re pleased with the result, and we have had a good turnout as well which means there is no ambiguity about what the opinion of Aberdeenshire is.
“It is a consultative referendum. If it is a very close result at the end of the day, who knows what they may do.
“They should listen to the UK, respect the Northern Irish decision, respect the Scottish decisions.”
Vote Leave’s Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire coordinator, Ryan Houghton, said: “It is a fantastic result. We have received tremendous support – especially from the fishing communities.
“I couldn’t be more proud. This was probably the high end of what we were expected.
“Of course we’d like to have won, but realistically one vote in Peterhead is equal to one vote in Liverpool, so area winning itself doesn’t really matter it is just about getting those votes out to feed into the national picture.”
A total of 196,809 people were eligible to vote in Aberdeenshire, with a 70.6% turnout.
By comparison, 87.19% of the electorate turned out to have their say on the independence referendum.
