Nine candidates will battle it out next month to become the newest Highland councillor.
The by-election is being held in the Culloden and Ardersier ward to find a successor to Labour’s John Ford, who died in July.
Former Inverness West councillor Pauline Munro is bidding for a return to the local authority after being confirmed as the SNP’s candidate.
Three serving community council chairmen and women have also thrown their hats into the ring – independent David McGrath, Liberal Democrat Trish Robertson, and independent Duncan Macpherson.
Also standing are Conservative Andrew Jarvie, independent Thomas Lamont, Labour’s Andrew Mackintosh, Green Isla MacLeod-O’Reilly and independent John Ross.
Mr Ford died in July at the age of 85 while on holiday in the Channel Isles. He had represented the ward for 13 years.
The by-election is on October 6 and the single transferable vote system will decide the winner, with the votes counted the following day at Smithton Free Church.
Major issues could include the pace of development in the east of Inverness, where thousands of homes are planned to built over the next few years, as well as controversial plans to expand Ardersier’s waste water plant.
The other three ward councillors are independent Roddy Balfour, the SNP’s Glynis Sinclair and Kate Stephen, a Lib Dem.
At the 2012 local government elections, Mr Balfour secured the most first preference votes, followed by Ms Sinclair in second, Mr Ford in third and Ms Stephen in fourth.
The result of the by-election is unlikely to shift the balance of power at Glenurquhart Road as the council’s current composition is 32 Independent, 18 SNP, 12 Lib Dem, seven Labour, six Highland Alliance and four non-aligned.
