ALBA have got off to the worst possible start in the local elections after a long-serving councillor in Aberdeenshire lost his seat.
Brian Topping, who has been a Fraserburgh and District councillor since the 1980s, was one of the party's best hopes to become one of their first councillors elected under the Alba banner.
But after switching allegiance to Alex Salmond's party last year, he only garnered 274 first preference votes on Friday and narrowly missed out on regaining his seat.
The Conservatives' James Adams won 1526 first preference votes, while Independent Doreen Mair was just behind with 1507.
It's also looking as if Alba will not secure any seats in Inverclyde as general secretary Chris McEleny - who has been a Gourock councillor for 10 years - said the forecast looked bleak.
He told the National: "That's a very sad loss for Aberdeenshire and for politics in Scotland. He was pretty close to being elected.
"Brian has served constituents for 30-odd years and it's definitely going to be a sore one for him and his family, but he's been in politics long enough now to know sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. He ran a really good campaign.
"It looks like we're also going to miss out in Inverclyde. It just seems as long people have aligned with the big parties who have got that national profile.
"We just haven't had enough first preference votes by the looks of it. Plenty of second and thirds, so the support is there, but it's not going to be enough this time.
"It's really disappointing, I've spent the majority of my life in elected office but I'm proud of what I've done over the last 10 years.
"I'm still quite pleased we managed to put out so many candidates and we'll keep fighting for Scotland's independence for our 6000 strong membership."
McEleny's dad Jim is also fighting to hold onto his seat in Greenock.
The party will be hoping fortunes turn around for them elsewhere across the country as they are standing candidates everywhere except Orkney, Shetland, West Dunbartonshire and Moray.
