THE South West of Scotland continued to buck the national trend and Conservatives coloured the electoral map blue.

The party held off a massive SNP challenge in the largely rural area, retained Galloway and West Dumfries and took Dumfriesshire from Elaine Murray who has represented the area since 1999.

The Tories' Finlay Carson successfully defended Galloway and West Dumfries where Alex Fergusson had a majority of just under 900 last time but retired after representing the area for 17 years.

Mr Carson boosted the majority to 1514 while in Dumfriesshire Oliver Mundell overturned a 3,000 Labour majority and came away with a 1,230 majority on the night.

The party was helped by an increase in turnout of around six per cent in the two constituencies, bringing it up it up to 59 per cent in both.

The count in Easterbrook Hall, Dumfries, was in marked contrast to the packed and exciting event at the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.

It was subdued with barely a sound until it was suddenly realised that the Conservatives were heading for two victories.

It was a bad, though not unexpected night for Labour with Elaine Murray departing the scene as she lost her seat.

Russell Brown, the former Dumfries and Galloway Labour MP who lost his seat to the SNP a year ago, said, as he watched the votes being counted: “I can see it’s going to be a long hard night for us. I’m afraid that Elaine won’t make it.’’

And so it was. But it was not by the SNP who threw everything into the campaign in the South West and arrived at the count in high spirits.

This continued for the first two hours as the votes were sorted, but suddenly there were anxious looking faces as it became obvious they weren’t having it all their own way.

Rob Davidson, campaign manager for Aileen McLeod, the SNP hopeful in Galloway and West Dumfries, said midway through the count: “I think we are just in front and could finish with 40 to 43 per cent of the vote but you never can tell.

"We were only a percentage point out at the General Election with our estimates when we won Dumfries and Galloway.”

But suddenly their dreams of success were dimmed as it became clear that the Conservatives were challenging strongly and forging ahead.

Ms McLeod, who was SNP environment minister, also failed to gain a seat as a List MSP.

There was strong feeling across Dumfries and Galloway about the threat to stake net fishing along the Solway Coast and the ban on taking salmon.

One Conservative voter said: “Angling and fishing is a big tourist catch for the South West and there has been a lot of people annoyed at what is happening.

“Fishermen have used stake nets and haaf nets on the rivers in this region for generations.”

As the count went on, no one was more surprised or delighted by the margin as Mr Carson, a former farmer, when the votes piled up for him: “I came here tonight thinking at first that if I came within two or three thousand off the SNP then I would have down well.

“I would say the margin of win has surprised us all for we thought it would be a lot closer but I think we did what we needed to do.

“I’m just delighted to win and I take it as a great honour to represent this constituency. For the past 17 years Alex Fergusson has worked hard and campaigned and gained a lot of respect across the region and I’ve certainly got some very, very big boots to fill.

“I want to thank him for all the work he has done and the help he has given in the this campaign over the past two years.”

Mr Carson said his small campaign team had done a tremendous job working the doorsteps from Stranraer to Dumfries.

He was delighted with the results across Scotland and said: “We’re certainly not surprised because we could see it happening on our doorstep.

“We went out and spoke to as many people as possible and I’m delighted to say that we have turned the South of Scotland blue tonight. That’s a fine blue line that will start a fightback that will see the end of a one party state and see the Conservative Party becoming a major force in Scottish politics once again.”

Mr Mundell said: “It’s been a great triumph for the Conservatives across Scotland. I look forward to taking projects forward from this area to the Scottish Parliament and I very much hope I will be able to work with Joan McAlpine was elected later in the regional list.

“I think what we have seen in this election is people living across Dumfriesshire knowing they have been forgotten under the Scottish Government and we need much greater investment.

“My number one priority for this constituency will be to ensure progress towards duelling the A75 which has the potential to unblock the future economically for Dumfries.”

In the Regional List the SNP won three seats for Joan McAlpine, Emma Harper and Paul Wheelhouse, Rachael Hamiton and Brian Whittle for the Conservatives and Colin Smyth and Claudia Beamish for Labour.