The SNP is expecting to retain its grip on the Highlands – but there is serious concern among supporters that they may lose one of three key constituencies.
The party is hoping to retain Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross; Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, and Ross, Skye and Lochaber, but tension is mounting.
Two years ago, the nationalists blew away three prominent Liberal Democrats in a voters’ revolt against the Lib Dems’ Westminster pact with the Conservatives.
The potential upset on the horizon is whether Paul Monaghan will suffer from a backlash over controversial Caithness health reforms.
A strong protest over the shake-up in maternity services – and greater demands on ambulances in the county – led to activist Nicola Sinclair of the Caithness Health Action Team winning a Highland Council seat last month.
While all eyes are on whether Mr Monaghan will retain his seat, there is expectation that the Liberal Democrat and Conservative candidates would inadvertently help him, by splitting the rival vote.
There appears to be less risk of his party colleagues being unseated – Drew Hendry in the UK constituency with the longest place-name and Ian Blackford in Ross, Skye and Lochaber.
After one of the least predictable general elections in modern times, there is a strong sense of excitement in the air at Ross
County’s football stadium among early-bird party workers who joined council staff and count personnel at the Dingwall count well before the first ballot boxes arrived.
The first ballot boxes arrived, from nearby Dingwall town hall, at 10.12pm.
A total of 15 candidates were vying for the three Highland seats – just two of them women.
Mr Monaghan is defending a 3,844 majority in Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross after beating John Thurso last time out.
Mr Hendry was 10,809 to the good when he ousted former Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander two years ago.
Mr Blackford was protecting a 5,124 majority, having defeated Charles Kennedy in 2015.
Electorate numbers in the three constituencies are down slightly on the 2015 election.
The figure for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey of 76,844 compares with 77,628.
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross has dropped from 47,558 to 46,868.
The Ross, Skye and Lochaber electorate is down from 54,169 to 53,638.
