Fulton wins by-election by a healthy majority of 378 votes

The Leverburgh-based development officer, who works with Harris Development Ltd, took the seat with nearly 75 per cent of the votes cast, receiving 536 of the 716 ballots completed in a turn out of just under 38 per cent, a majority of 378 over second place former councillor, Annie MacDonald, who secured 158 votes.

Following the announcement Mr Fulton, who was raised in Drinishader in the Bays area of Harris, said: “My main aims are new housing for young families to allow us to retain and attract folk to the ward, a reversal of the executive headship position [at Siar E Scott School, the Nicolson Institute and the Leverhulme Primary School] and to maintain the existing head teachers, and to support Pairc school and maintain it as is.”

Mr Fulton added that he would lobby for fibre broadband to be available for the whole of the ward, and committed to campaign to secure funding to “develop and reinvigorate” the Leverburgh area and for improvements to the area’s infrastructure “particularly given how busy the ward gets in the summer season”.

Mr Fulton joins Cllrs John Mitchell and Paul Finnegan in representing the ward.

The ballot had three candidates with Kris O’Donnell coming third behind Grant Fulton and Annie MacDonald with 22 votes.