Meet the Westminster clan: our guide to the new SNP MPs

Alex Salmond - Gordon

The former SNP leader and first minister's election as MP for Gordon saw him return to the House of Commons, where he came to national prominence in 1988 when he disrupted a Tory budget speech.

Mr Salmond was expelled from the chamber and suspended for a week, saying later that the incident took him from "total nonentity to notoriety", and in the years to come he would rise to prominence as the man who took Scotland to the brink of independence.

Now, the much larger SNP group could give him more influence than ever before in the Commons.

Mhairi Black - Paisley & Renfrewshire South

The 20-year-old politics student is the youngest MP since the 17th century.

The Partick Thistle football fan, who is in her final year at Glasgow University, has said her entry into politics has compelled her to "smarten up" and stop saying "daft stuff" after early videos emerged of her labelling unionists "gullible" and "selfish".

She hopes the SNP's large representation at Westminster will give them "the power to twist their arm and to get that other referendum" by removing potential obstacles from unionist MPs.

Kirsten Oswald - East Renfrewshire

The further eduction human resources worker took one of the biggest scalps of the general election by unseating Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy.

Born in Dundee, she grew up in Carnoustie and moved to East Renfrewshire in 2008. A relatively new SNP member, she joined in June 2014 after becoming active in the Yes campaign and Women for Independence group.

She quickly focused her attack on Mr Murphy's alliance with the Conservatives in Better Together, his support for nuclear weapons and Labour's austerity plans.

Drew Hendry - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey

The SNP chose one of its leading local government operators to unseat former chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander in the Highlands.

Drew Hendry is leader of Highland Council, leader of the Highland SNP group and the party's national group leader on local government umbrella body Cosla.

He is a former director with a multinational appliance manufacturer and founded the first private-sector company in Inverness to commit to paying all staff the living wage.

Ian Blackford - Ross, Skye & Lochaber

The ex-merchant banker's election to the seat held by former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy for more than 30 years caps a long and sometimes turbulent career with the SNP.

As party treasurer in 2000,he clashed with leader Alex Salmond over his stewardship of the party finances and led a challenge against Finance Secretary John Swinney's proposal to hold a referendum on joining the euro if Scotland gained independence.

Mr Blackford argued in 2009 that Scotland should join the euro without a referendum before the eurozone crisis forced a wholesale rethink within the party.

During the referendum campaign, he called for the Royal Bank of Scotland to be broken up in the event of independence.

Angus Robertson - Moray

As SNP Westminster group leader since 2007 and the party's defence spokesman, Mr Robertson is one of the highest-profile SNP spokesmen and an outspoken critic of Trident and defence cuts in Scotland.

The half-German MP was first elected as the youngest Scottish parliamentarian in 2001 after a career in broadcasting in Vienna.

During the referendum campaign, he spearheaded the SNP's controversial U-turn on support for nuclear-armed military alliance Nato, which led to the resignation of three SNP MSPs.

Eilidh Whiteford - Banff & Buchan

The former university lecturer had big shoes to fill when Alex Salmond stepped down from Banff & Buchan in 2010 to focus on Holyrood.

She soon caused controversy when she withdrew from the Commons Scottish Affairs Committee, alleging that the convener, Labour's Ian Davidson, had threatened to give her "a doing" if she leaked private discussions to the press.

Stewart Hosie - Dundee East

The veteran SNP MP was elected deputy leader in the wake of Nicola Sturgeon's appointment as leader, fighting off a challenge from MSPs Angela Constance and Keith Brown.

Mr Hosie was the SNP's first youth convener and spent four years as the party's national secretary before being elected as the organisation convener in 2003.

He is married to Scottish Health Secretary Shona Robison.

Calum Kerr - Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk County

Former Liberal Democrat Scottish secretary Michael Moore may have won the argument in the Better Together campaign but he ultimately lost his seat to Yes Scottish Borders chairman Calum Kerr.

Mr Kerr's victory was all the more remarkable in one of the most staunchly unionist parts of the country during the referendum.

Ultimately, it came down a straight fight with Conservative candidate John Lamont, who polled just 328 votes behind Mr Kerr and relegated Mr Moore to a distant third place.

Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh - Ochil & South Perthshire

Businesswoman and lawyer Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh took the seat from Labour's Gordon Banks, who had held it since 2005, beating him by more than 10,000 votes.

She is national women's and equalities officer for the SNP and stood for the party in last year's European Parliament elections.

She was also on the board of Yes Scotland in the run-up to the referendum.

Richard Arkless - Dumfries & Galloway

Qualified solicitor Richard Arkless took the seat from Labour's Russell Brown, who had represented the Dumfries constituency since 1997 and in 2005 was elected as the first MP for the new Dumfries and Galloway seat

Mr Arkless worked as a solicitor but in 2013 postponed his legal career to set up a small business which operates online from Stranraer, where he lives.

Hannah Bardell - Livingston

The new MP for Livingston took the seat from Labour's Graeme Morrice, who had held it since 2010, winning from him it with a majority of more than 16,000.

She worked with the SNP as part of their 2007 central campaign team producing and presenting SNPtv online, and for the next three years managed Alex Salmond's constituency office.

Her career has also included spells outside politics, working in broadcasting and in the oil and gas sector.

Kirsty Blackman - Aberdeen North

Local councillor Kirsty Blackman took the seat previously held by Labour's Frank Doran, who was not standing at the election.

She was elected as a councillor in 2007 and re-elected in 2012, and has held posts including convener of the SNP group in Aberdeen City Council.

Phil Boswell - Coatbridge Chryston & Bellshill

Labour's Tom Clarke had represented the area for 33 years and commanded a 20,000 majority before Phil Boswell and the SNP swept to victory.

Having worked in the oil industry, Mr Boswell said he has a "clear perspective on how Scotland is performing compared to other oil rich countries", and will become a key SNP figure on the North Sea industry, one of the biggest tax raising sectors for the Treasury.

Deidre Brock - Edinburgh North & Leith

The Australian said she "fell in love with Scotland" on a holiday to the country and moved permanently with her husband in 1996.

She quickly became involved in local politics, running the parliamentary office of Rob Gibson MSP before she was elected to Edinburgh Council in 2007.

Ms Brock became depute lord provost for Edinburgh before standing as SNP candidate in Edinburgh North, where she overturned a slim Labour majority to take her seat in the House of Commons.

Alan Brown - Kilmarnock & Loudoun

The wave of SNP triumphs across Scotland started with Alan Brown's win in his Ayrshire constituency last week.

Kilmarnock and Loudoun was the first seat to declare in Scotland and overturning Labour's 12,000 majority to establish a 13,000 SNP majority set the tone for the night.

Mr Brown has been a local councillor in Ayrshire since 2007, holding various roles including the party's planning spokesman.

Lisa Cameron - East Kilbride, Strathaven & Lesmahagow

Another medical professional elected with the SNP, Lisa Cameron will be a key voice on health issues at Westminster, which the party said it will vote on if it has knock-on effects to the devolved NHS in Scotland.

Dr Cameron recently worked as an NHS consultant working with patients who have mental health problems and learning difficulties. She is also an expert witness within the Scottish court system, working in cases of childhood sexual abuse and domestic violence.

Selected to contest the East Kilbride constituency, Dr Cameron took the previously Labour seat with a 16,000 majority.

Douglas Chapman - Dunfermline & West Fife

Rosyth councillor Douglas Chapman took what was previously regarded as a safe Labour seat, defeating Labour's Thomas Docherty with a majority of more than 10,000.

Mr Chapman, who is currently council umbrella group Cosla's education spokesman, has been active within the SNP and local politics in Fife for many years, having stood for election to Westminster on three previous occasions.

Joanna Cherry - Edinburgh South West

Joanna Cherry has been in practice as an advocate for about 20 years. She previously held the offices of Standing Junior Counsel to the Scottish Government and Advocate Depute, and she was one of the first specialist sex crimes prosecutors in the Crown Office's national sex crimes unit.

She has been an SNP member since 2008 and is a long-term supporter of independence and home rule, co-founding and leading the Lawyers for Yes group during the referendum.

Ronnie Cowan - Inverclyde

An SNP member since he was 16, Ronnie Cowan took the Inverclyde seat for the party with 55% of the vote on a turnout of more than 75%.

He has run his own IT company for the last 12 years, working with firms all over the UK and Ireland.

As an Inverclyde local, Mr Cowan was also heavily involved in the referendum campaign, leading Inverclyde's Yes group.

Angela Crawley - Lanark & Hamilton East

Angela Crawley is the SNP councillor for Hamilton South in South Lanarkshire and the party's spokeswoman for young people and community resources.

In addition, the politics graduate is the national convenor of the SNP's youth-wing, Young Scots for Independence, sitting on the party's national executive committee.

Martyn Day - Linlithgow & East Falkirk

Martyn Day, who has served as an elected councillor for 16 years, unseated Labour rival Michael Connarty by a margin of almost 13,000 votes.

He has also worked as an election agent in several local SNP campaigns and spent two years working on the Yes campaign ahead of the referendum.

Martin Docherty - West Dunbartonshire

After joining the SNP in 1991, Martin Docherty was elected as a local councillor aged just 21.

He went on to study for a politics degree before spending almost a decade working in the voluntary sector.

Mr Docherty returned to local government as a SNP councillor to Glasgow City Council in 2012.

Stuart Donaldson - West Aberdeenshire & Kincardine

Stuart Donaldson won more than 40% of the vote to take the West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine seat from the Liberal Democrats.

The son of Scotland's Public Health Minister, Maureen Watt, and grandson of former MP Hamish Watt, at 23 he is one of the SNP's youngest new MPs.

Until now, Mr Donaldson was working as an assistant to north-east MSP Christian Allard.

Marion Fellows - Motherwell & Wishaw

Another councillor, Marion Fellows has represented Wishaw at local government level since 2012.

She also spent 19 years teaching business studies at West Lothian College, where she was a member of the EIS trade union.

Margaret Ferrier - Rutherglen & Hamilton West

Margaret Ferrier took more than 52% of the vote to defeat Labour's Tom Greatrex with a swing to the SNP of over 31%.

She works for a manufacturing construction company in Motherwell and is an elected community councillor and volunteer for the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Stephen Gethins - North East Fife

Until recently Stephen Gethins was a special adviser to Scotland's First Minister, advising on European and international affairs as well as rural affairs, energy and climate change.

He has worked in peace-building, arms control and democratisation in the Caucasus and Balkans regions in the NGO sector, and has also worked at Scotland Europa, helping Scottish organisations gain influence and funding in the EU.

Patricia Gibson - North Ayrshire & Arran

Patricia Gibson saw off her Labour rival, Katy Clark, by winning the seat with a majority of more than 13,500.

She worked as an English teacher for 16 years before being elected to Glasgow City Council in 2007, and is married to SNP MSP Ken Gibson.

Patrick Grady - Glasgow North

Patrick Grady - one of Nicola Sturgeon's "magnificent seven" - joined the SNP in 1997, aged 17.

He has worked in a range of policy and campaigning jobs in the charity and public sector, and has held a number of SNP responsibilities, including national secretary of the party since 2012.

Peter Grant - Glenrothes

Peter Grant has been a councillor in Glenrothes since 1992. He served for five years as leader of Fife Council and is still leader of the SNP group.

He has lived in the constituency since 1983, and also has a professional qualification in public sector finance.

Neil Gray - Airdrie & Shotts

Born and brought up in the Orkney Isles, Neil Gray worked as journalist for the BBC and local newspaper titles before moving to the SNP's press and research office in Holyrood.

He was employed by Scotland's Communities Secretary Alex Neil in his constituency office in 2008 and became his office manager in 2011.

George Kerevan - East Lothian

Journalist and documentary film-maker, George Kerevan is a former member of the Labour Party and served as a councillor in Edinburgh for 12 years before switching to the SNP in 1996.

He stood for the nationalists in the 2010 general election but was defeated by Labour in the Edinburgh East constituency.

Away from politics, he was associate editor of The Scotsman for nine years and his articles have appeared in The Spectator, New Statesman and Prospect Magazine. He has also lectured in economics at Napier University and founded the Edinburgh Science Festival as well as sitting on the boards of many arts organisations.

Chris Law - Dundee West

Dundee businessman Chris Law took the seat previously held for 10 years by Labour MP Jim McGovern, who did not stand for re-election.

Mr Law was a leading Yes campaigner during the referendum and founder of the Spirit of Independence road tour of communities in a refurbished fire engine, which attracted national and international interest.

His first business involved running expeditions to the world's highest roads in the Himalayas on 1950s motorcycles which he did for more than 10 years before moving into running his current business as a financial adviser.

Angus MacNeil - Na H-Eileanan An Iar

Island-born Angus MacNeil has been MP since 2005 for his constituency, which includes the islands of Lewis, Harris, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist and Barra.

He was born and brought up in Tangasdale on the Isle of Barra and, after attending school in Barra and Lewis, went on to study at Strathclyde University and Jordanhill in Glasgow.

After working as a journalist with the BBC, he taught for two years in Salen on Mull, where he started the Gaelic Medium Unit before moving to Fort William.

He now lives on the family croft with his wife Jane and their three daughters.

Callum McCaig - Aberdeen South

New MP for Aberdeen South Callum McCaig took the long-term Labour seat from Dame Anne Begg, who had held it since 1997, winning it from her with a majority of around 7000.

He has a long background as a councillor for the city, having been elected Aberdeen City Council in 2007.

He became one of the youngest council leaders in the country in 2011 at the age of 26 and was the SNP group leader on Aberdeen City Council.

He grew up in the city and has an MA in politics from Edinburgh University. After graduating he returned to Aberdeen and worked as a parliamentary assistant to Maureen Watt MSP.

Stewart McDonald - Glasgow South

Stewart McDonald defeated long-term MP Tom Harris, who had represented the area since 2001, initially as Cathcart and then from 2005 when it became the larger Glasgow South seat, beating him by around 12,000 votes.

He has a political background, having been working for Cathcart MSP James Dornan as a caseworker.

Before that he worked for another MSP on campaigns and research, often working in the Castlemilk and Corftfoot parts of the Glasgow South constituency.

Stuart McDonald - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East

Former solicitor Stuart McDonald defeated Labour's Gregg McClymont, who had held the seat since 2010, beating him by almost 15,000 votes.

He has long been involved in politics, having joined the local SNP at 16, and has been involved in campaigning in the constituency for the best part of 20 years.

As well as working as a solicitor, he has worked at the Scottish Parliament for MSPs Shirley-Anne Somerville and Jim Eadie, then moved to take up the post of senior researcher at Yes Scotland headquarters during the referendum.

Latterly he has worked for a Glasgow-based anti-racism charity.

Natalie McGarry - Glasgow East

A prominent campaigner during the referendum, Natalie McGarry ousted shadow Scottish secretary Margaret Curran when she took the Glasgow East seat from Labour by more than 10,000 votes.

Having studied law at university she has spent most of her working life in the voluntary sector and was co-founder of Women For Independence during the referendum campaign.

Anne McLaughlin - Glasgow North East

Former MSP Anne McLaughlin defeated Labour's Willie Bain, who failed to hold his seat, losing by around 9,000 votes.

An MSP from 2009 to 2011, she has been involved in the SNP for more than 20 years, in various roles ranging from campaign co-ordinator for the Glasgow East by-election, to director of the pro-independence Business For Scotland and political adviser to Bob Doris MSP.

John McNally - Falkirk

Long-term local councillor John McNally took the seat previously held by disgraced independent MP Eric Joyce, who resigned from the Labour Party in 2012 following a conviction for assaulting a Tory MP and was not standing at the election.

He became Denny's first SNP councillor in 2005 and took the Falkirk seat with 34,831 votes.

Paul Monaghan - Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross

New MP Paul Monaghan defeated long-standing Liberal Democrat MP John Thurso, who had held the seat since 2001.

Director of Highland Homeless Trust, a charity that provides specialist housing and support services to vulnerable people, Dr Monaghan has a first class honours degree in psychology and a PhD in social policy from the University of Stirling.

Carol Monaghan - Glasgow North West

A trained teacher, Carol Monaghan took the long-standing Labour seat from John Robertson who had held it since a by-election in 2000 following the death of Donald Dewar, beating him by more than 10,000 votes.

She has worked in many Glasgow schools, including 14 years at Hyndland Secondary, as head of physics and head of science and also spent two years as a Glasgow University lecturer, training future teachers.

She has also been involved in developing physics qualifications at a national level as a Scottish Qualifications Authority consultant.

Roger Mullin - Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath

New MP Roger Mullin took what had been the safest Labour seat in Scotland, overturning a majority of more than 23,000 to capture the constituency which was held by former prime minister Gordon Brown, who had stood down from Parliament.

An honorary professor at the University of Stirling where he teaches postgraduates applied decision theory, the political environment and organisation change, he has undertaken 27 international assignments for the United Nations and governments in many parts of the world.

He is a former vice convener of the SNP.

Gavin Newlands - Paisley & Renfrewshire North

The new MP says he has been involved in the SNP since he was around 10 years old.

Now 35, the restaurant owner and businessman was first involved in party activity during anti-poll tax demonstrations with his family.

He has been part of Renfrew Community Council for five years and been involved in a number of local and national elections, with his victory over Labour's Jim Sheridan last week giving him his new high-profile role.

Mr Newlands will bring business experience to the SNP benches as he has run two large restaurants and also worked as a business analyst for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

John Nicolson - East Dunbartonshire

Despite his new role as an MP, John Nicolson already knows the workings of Parliament, having worked as a political correspondent for BBC News, Panorama and Newsnight.

The journalist describes himself as a"lifelong independence supporter" and first joined the SNP aged 16.

During last year's referendum, he volunteered to help Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon prepare for TV debates and he later hosted Ms Sturgeon's tour of Scotland after she became First Minister.

He clearly made an impression and was nominated as an SNP candidate by Mr Salmond late last year, going on to knock high-profile Lib Dem Jo Swinson off her East Dunbartonshire seat.

As well as his journalistic experience, Mr Nicolson has worked as a speechwriter in the US senate and studied at Harvard, and as a former world student debating champion, he will be looking forward to sessions in the House of Commons.

Brendan O'Hara - Argyll & Bute

Brendan O'Hara made it to the House of Commons at the third time of asking.

The 51-year-old was the SNP's general election candidate in Springburn in 1987 and for Glasgow Central in 1992 before winning the contest in the Argyll and Bute constituency last week.

Between electoral contests, Mr O'Hara has worked as a television producer for STV, BBC and Sky Sports.

Steven Paterson - Stirling

The councillor made his own piece of local history on an epic night for the SNP.

The deputy leader of Stirling Council became the first SNP MP elected in the city when he triumphed over Labour's Johanna Boyd.

The 39-year-old has progressed through local politics, serving as councillor for Stirling East since 2007.

Tommy Sheppard - Edinburgh East

As a former assistant general secretary of the Labour Party, Tommy Sheppard does not seem like an obvious SNP candidate.

Born in Northern Ireland, educated in Aberdeen and having been elected to Hackney Council, he has taken the long road to becoming an SNP MP but Mr Sheppard played a prominent role in the referendum campaign.

He organised a series of high profile events, and The Stand comedy club, which he set up in 1995, hosted referendum-themed nights.

Mr Sheppard has always been politically active and was elected vice-president of the National Union of Students in the 1980s. John Smith appointed him assistant general secretary of the Labour Party but he left under Tony Blair.

He only recently joined the SNP but was selected to contest the Edinburgh East constituency, which he comfortably won with an almost 10,000 majority.

Chris Stephens - Glasgow South West

As a union activist, Chris Stephens has held a number of roles within the SNP.

He is a member of the party's national executive committee, convener of the Glasgow Pollok constituency association, and secretary of the SNP trade union group.

He defeated Ian Davidson to win the Glasgow South West seat at the second time of asking, having lost to the Labour candidate in the constituency in the 2010 general election.

Alison Thewliss - Glasgow Central

The Glasgow Calton councillor took what was previously regarded as a safe Labour seat, overturning Anas Sarwar's 10,000 majority with a vote swing of 35%.

Ms Thewliss has been active within the SNP and local politics in Glasgow for many years, twice being elected to the city council.

She is a member of Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and was a vocal supporter of the SNP pledge to vote against the renewal of Trident.

Owen Thompson - Midlothian

Involved in politics since the age of eight, the Loanhead councillor won his first political office a decade ago.

In a by-election to Midlothian Council in 2005, he gave up a career in the financial sector to become Scotland's youngest councillor and went on to lead the council.

Now 37, Mr Thompson won the Midlothian constituency with a majority of almost 10,000, taking more than 50% of the vote.

It looks like the work has paid off as he said he started on the campaign trail early, delivering leaflets with family when he was just eight.

Michelle Thomson - Edinburgh West

The businesswoman has said she was not politically active until the referendum but has quickly risen in the SNP to take a seat at Westminster.

Ms Thomson was managing director of the pro-independence Business for Scotland group and spoke at dozens of events during the referendum campaign.

After the result, she was one of the thousands of people who joined the SNP and her performance during the referendum clearly impressed the party who approved her as candidate for Edinburgh West, which she went on to win over Lib Dem Mike Crockart by 3,000 votes.

Mike Weir - Angus

As an SNP MP since 2001, Mike Weir will be expected to lend his experience to his cohort of new colleagues.

He was one of six incumbent SNP MPs who retained their seat last week, increasing his majority by 8,000 votes as his party swept Scotland.

A former solicitor, he has served on the Scottish affairs, trade and industry, and energy and climate change select committees. He is also a member of the chairmans panel, in which capacity he chairs debates and standing committees at Westminster.

Philippa Whitford - Central Ayrshire

The breast cancer surgeon helped bring the NHS to the fore of the independence campaign last year when an online video of her arguing against privatisation went viral.

The issue dominated latter parts of the campaign and Dr Whitford backed a Yes vote.

Originally from Belfast, she has worked at Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock for more than 18 years and will now be a loud voice on healthcare issues at Westminster.

She was selected as SNP candidate for Central Ayrshire and overturned Labour's 12,000 majority to establish a 13,000 majority of her own.

Corri Wilson - Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock

A long-time SNP member, Corri Wilson was elected to South Ayrshire Council in 2012 and has also been women's officer in her local party branch.

Selected to fight a Labour stronghold, she overturned Sandra Osborne's almost-10,000 majority and established an 11,000 majority of her own in Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock.

Pete Wishart - Perth & North Perthshire

Already one of the SNP's high-profile MPs, the former musician has represented the party at Westminster since 2001.

As SNP chief whip in the last parliament, he had a relatively straightforward task in keeping six MPs in line but there will be 56 party members this time.

He has also been the SNP's Westminster spokesman on the constitution, home affairs, and culture, media and sport.

Prior to being elected, Mr Wishart spent 15 years in the music business, with Scottish rock groups Big Country and Runrig.

According to his website, he has sold more than one million records around the world and is the only MP to have appeared on Top Of the Pops.

Another award to his name is Parliamentary Tweeter of the Year 2014 - but he could have some competition from his new colleagues with the number of selfies posted on the campaign trail and on their first trip to Westminster this week.