SCOTTISH Tories were celebrating last night after taking two of their biggest scalps of the election – those of former SNP leader Alex Salmond and deputy leader Angus Robertson – in a bad night for the party.

The result in Gordon came shortly saw them come from third place last time to dethrone Salmond. Robertson, previously the SNP’s Westminster leader, was their most high-profile MP, but was beaten by Tory Douglas Ross who overturned a majority of 9065 to win by 4159 votes, representing a 14 per cent swing to the Tories.

As group leader at Westminster, and as a result of the SNP’s newly-acquired third-party status, he quizzed the Prime Minister weekly, challenging the UK Government on everything from welfare reforms to Brexit and foreign affairs.

He has frequently won plaudits for her performances at PMQs, and earned a reputation as a formidable opponent and potential leadership contender.

Robertson grew up in Edinburgh before attending university in Aberdeen. After working as a journalist and then as European and international affairs adviser to SNP MSPs at Holyrood, he was elected to Westminster in 2001 to represent Moray.

He served as the party’s defence spokesman and, in 2015, was appointed as a member of the Privy Council and the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee.

In the 2007 and 2011 Scottish elections, he was the party’s campaigns director and previously served as business convener, chairing the SNP’s National Executive Committee, the annual national conference and the policy-making forum National Council.

In his victory speech, Ross said: “I’d like to pay tribute to my fellow candidates. Could I also say to Angus, thank-you on behalf of the people of Moray for your outstanding service to the people of Moray over the last 16 years.”

Labour’s tally started with the first Scottish result of the night in Rutherglen and Hamilton West, beating the SNP’s Margaret Ferrier. Ged Killen polled 19,101 votes, in an 8.9 per cent swing in Labour’s favour and a 16 per cent drop in the SNP vote.

“This result is a rejection of austerity and a rejection of a divisive second independence referendum,” said Killen. “Above all this result is a vote for a progressive manifesto and a fresh start for Rutherglen and Hamilton West.”

The Tories also overturned an 11,230 SNP majority to take Angus from the chief whip in the Commons Mike Weir, who came second, 2945 votes behind Kirstene Hair.

There was better news for the SNP’s Mhairi Black, the youngest MP in the last session of Parliament, who narrowly held Paisley and Renfrewshire South despite a big drop in her share of the vote – a majority of 2541, down 3143 on the 2015 result.

She told BBC Radio 4 she was confident the SNP would end the night as the largest part in Scotland, and that it was always going to be “nearly impossible” for them hold all their seats. Black added that she “would love it” if Jeremy Corbyn was in a position to form some form of government and that the SNP would be prepared to work with a Corbyn administration on an issue by issue basis.

“I make no secret of the fact that I find Westminster archaic, so long as it’s our political institution, we have to get involved in it,” she said. “I’m glad to be re-elected to go back down and continue to batter into whoever is in government that austerity is not working, it’s not benefitting people’s lives whatsoever.”

The dark night for the SNP started with a BBC/ITV/Sky exit poll predicting the party would lose 22 seats, bringing their total in Scotland down to 34.

Nicola Sturgeon said it was the party’s second best result in Westminster polling. She wanted time to reflect on a second referendum, adding she would not make “any rash decisions”.