Scottish Tories select replacements for Holyrood seats vacated by new MPs

New Conservative MSPs will join the Scottish Parliament after two party colleagues stood down following their election to Westminster last week.

Douglas Ross has resigned as a Highlands and Islands MSP after unseating SNP depute leader Angus Robertson in Moray.

Ross Thomson has stood down as a North East MSP after winning the Aberdeen South seat from the SNP's Callum McCaig, who was a one-time Aberdeen City Council leader.

The Scottish Conservatives said Mr Ross will be replaced in his regional list seat by Jamie Halcro Johnston, who unsuccessfully stood against Liberal Democrat Alistair Carmichael in the General Election.

Mr Halcro Johnston is a freelance consultant and works between Edinburgh and his family farm in Orkney, having previously acted as an adviser to several Conservative MSPs.

He contested the Orkney seat at the last two Scottish Parliament polls and stood for election in Moray in the 2005 general election.

The party also said Aberdeen's new depute provost Tom Mason will fill Mr Thomson's former regional North East list position.

A former lecturer and justice of the peace, Mr Mason served as a local councillor in the 1990s and we re-elected to Aberdeen City Council in May