Nicola Sturgeon's decision to step down as First Minister and SNP leader has stunned the world of Scottish politics. The First Minister announced on Wednesday morning that she would quit after eight years at the top as soon as her party elected a successor.
But Sturgeon refused to say who she would prefer to take over from her in Bute House. Just three people have led the SNP since Alex Salmond took the job for the first time in 1990.
Here are six of the likely candidates for the SNP leadership election which is set to dominate the political news agenda for weeks to come.