Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has hailed the result of a council by-election in which the party beat the SNP in the backyard of former First Minister Alex Salmond.

Candidate Margo Stewart topped the first preference poll with 1469 votes – 36.31 per cent of the vote – in the Huntly, Strathbogie and Howe of Alford ward.

She beat the SNP, who finished second, and claimed considerably more votes than Labour (4.8 per cent) and the Liberal Democrats (22.9 per cent).

That signals a major increase of nearly 10 per cent from the last election in the Aberdeenshire ward.

It also follows a series of local authority by-elections last month in which the Scottish Conservatives recorded a vote increase across the country.

Scottish Conservative candidate for Aberdeenshire West, Alexander Burnett said:

"Once again the Scottish Conservatives have proven that we are the only party who can stand up to the SNP.

"I have no doubt that Cllr Margo Stewart will be an excellent councillor for the area. With her wealth of knowledge of the area and in education and rural politics, I strongly believe she will be a welcomed addition to the Conservative council group.

"I wish her all the best in her new role as Councillor.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said:

“We’ve beaten the SNP in Alex Salmond’s back yard.

“The Liberal Democrats threw the kitchen sink at this seat and claimed they were the only pro-UK alternative to the SNP.

“This has been proved false yet again.

“In the north east it is only the Scottish Conservatives who are strong enough to stand up against the SNP and defend Scotland’s place in the UK.”