Senior Liberal Democrats believe their party is on the way back after pulling off a shock by-election win in the Highlands.
Dr Jean Davis seized the Aird and Loch Ness seat which was vacated by the local authority’s former SNP leader Drew Hendry after he became MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey in May.
The Lib Dem defied the odds to beat her Nationalist rival Emma Knox by 344 votes in the contest.
And the unlikely victory was last night hailed as the start of the party’s fightback – not just in the north but across the country.
Mr Hendry succeeded former Lib Dem chief secretary to the treasury Danny Alexander at Westminster, and last night the former MP said the Aird and Loch Ness result was “fantastic” for the party.
And Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said the result showed the “gloss is starting to come off the SNP in the Highlands”.
The Nationalists, meanwhile, remained upbeat, claiming they had increased their vote share by 5%.
Dr Davis, who previously stood for election to the UK Parliament in the Western Isles, said: “I always did think that we had a chance and I think we’ve proven that.
“People have listened and said ‘enough of all that national stuff, lets focus on what the Highlands needs’.
“In the last year we’ve had a sad day in May followed by the sad news about Charles’s (Kennedy) death.”
Highland Council’s newest member added: “It’s only a council seat but it is the first step in the fightback, we’ll be back next year and in 2017 and hopefully we’ll have more representation at all levels of government.”
Senior figures in the party were quick to hail her success, including Mr Alexander, who reiterated the belief that the Lib Dems could be on the brink of a resurgence.
He said: “It’s a fantastic result. It’s absolutely the start of a fightback in the Highlands and across Scotland.
“There’s a strong tradition of Liberalism in the Highlands which has not gone away and this result shows that.
“There’s been an awful lot of support on the door steps for Liberalism and the message from us has been if that’s what they want then they’ll have to go out and vote for it and I think that’s exactly what has happened.”
Mr Rennie said: “This was a seat held by the SNP’s former leader on Highland Council.
“This result is a clear endorsement of localism over the SNP centralisation agenda. It looks like the gloss is starting to come off the SNP in the Highlands.
“People were telling Jean and her team that they were fed up with being taken for granted by the SNP who have put Highland issues at the back of the queue.
“Liberal Democrats have always stood up for the Highlands and Jean will be an excellent councillor for the good people of Aird and Loch Ness.”
Defeated SNP candidate Mrs Knox was procurator fiscal for Inverness until a serious car accident in 2012.
She said: “I think it was fair campaign and I think it was all in good spirits.
“I’m obviously disappointed that it’s not a victory for the SNP but we’ll get it next time.”
Asked if she was going to stand for election again, Mrs Knox said: “It feels like it now, but maybe ask me again tomorrow.”