Russell Findlay has vowed to unite his party after being named the new leader of the Scottish Tories.

The West of Scotland MSP replaces Douglas Ross in the top party post following a five-week campaign full of “blue on blue attacks”.

Mr Findlay convincingly beat his rivals – Murdo Fraser and Meghan Gallacher – with 62% of the vote.

He received 2,565 votes of the eligible 4,155 cast in a ballot of members.

Runner up Mr Fraser got 1,187 and Ms Gallacher – former deputy leader – received 403.

Turnout was 60% with overall party membership revealed as 6,941 – fewer than Alex Salmond’s Alba Party which has 7,507.

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Mr Findlay faces a tough few weeks in the job as he tries to unite the party.

Speaking in Edinburgh immediately after his win was announced, Mr Findlay said: “Everyone must come together as one united team.

“Let us start the hard work right now to win back public trust.”

The former crime journalist, who was widely considered favourite to win throughout the whole campaign, did not hold back on the electoral challenges facing the party.

Mr Findlay inherits a difficult legacy from his predecessor, who was forced out of the role after he announced his candidacy in the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat at the general election.

It was in place of popular former MP David Duguid who was recovering from a spinal stroke and said he was “deselected” despite being willing and able to run for the Westminster seat.

That caused division within the party after Mr Ross previously said he would stand down from Westminster to focus on his Holyrood responsibilities.

Mr Ross ultimately lost the seat, gifting the SNP their only gain of the election and adding to a significant overall Conservative defeat.

Mr Findlay will immediately be forced to address the major electoral challenge he faces looking to the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections.

In a message to voters, the new leader said: “I want to deliver the message to people across Scotland who do not feel that anyone represents them, who are scunnered by the divisiveness and fringe obsessions of the Scottish Parliament who feel let down and failed by politicians of every single party, including ours, who think politicians are all the same.

“If you feel that way – I get it, but I’m not the same.”

He added: "I understand your frustrations and your sense that nobody really represents the views you share and hold. And that is going to change.

“Under my leadership the Scottish Conservatives are going to change.

“We will work hard to earn your trust by doing things differently.”

Writing on X, his predecessor congratulated Mr Finday. Mr Ross said leading the party over the last four years had been an “honour and a privilege”.

He said: “I look forward to supporting Russell and his team going forward.”

Mr Findlay’s first challenge comes on Saturday as he meets the King during a 25th anniversary event of devolution at the Scottish Parliament, before addressing party members at Conservative conference in Birmingham.

The party lost almost half of its vote share at the general election in July and polling suggests Reform could be looking to take many of their seats in Holyrood.

Ms Gallacher, who placed third in the leadership contest, congratulated Mr Findlay, but she warned “fighting off threats from Reform” would be a key challenge.

She told the Herald: “I congratulate Russell on his victory today. I hope that he can take our party from strength to strength, to reset relationships, rebuild the party and to restore trust and credibility.

“We need to fight off the threat of Reform and disenfranchised voters. That’s a huge task ahead of us but it can be done with the right policies in place. But I do think that’s a huge challenge ahead for Russell but we all need to come back together, get behind him and put in a good fight for 2026.”

Mr Fraser said he was disappointed in the result but also praised his new leader. He told journalists: “I think what we have to do is draw a line under what has happened over the last few weeks, and recognise that as Russell fairly said, the real enemy is out there and we need to unite and move forward.”

Mr Findlay had the backing of all five Scottish Tory MPs and former party leader Ruth Davidson, earning him the nickname of the “establishment candidate”.

Ms Davidson said on X the result represented a “strong mandate”.

SNP MSP Kevin Stewart said: "The face of Tory politics in Scotland may have changed, but Russell Findlay's track record shows he has no desire to stand up for Scotland's interests."

He added: "They have finally managed to swap out one of two lame duck leaders - but defeated Rishi Sunak is still pulling the strings until November, as what feels like the longest leadership contest in history rumbles on."

Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said: “Rearranging the deckchairs will do nothing to stop the Tories’ downward slide after 14 years of letting Scotland down.

“The Tories still owe Scots an apology for gambling with families’ savings, crashing the economy and sending bills soaring while putting party before country.

“The 2024 election made it clear that voters want change, not a return to the rotten Tory government of the past.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said Mr Findlay will “find it hard to escape his record of cheering on (former prime minister) Liz Truss”.

He added: “There will also be voters out there who were persuaded by (former Scottish Tory leader) Ruth Davidson but who barely recognise the Conservative Party today.”

Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie claimed the election of Mr Findlay “does seem to confirm that the Scottish Tories are determined to hold on to the title of the nasty party, and to lurch ever further to the right”.