THE LibDems have named a 23-year-old Harvard graduate as the candidate to fight their number one Holyrood target seat.

Molly Nolan aims to win back Caithness, Sutherland and Ross for the party at the Scottish Parliament election next May.

The LibDems held the seat from 1999-2011, when Gail Ross won it for the SNP.

Now she’s stepping down and the LibDems have made the northern constituency their top target for 2021. It comes after Jamie Stone won back the overlapping Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Westminster seat from the SNP at the 2017 General Election.

Willie Rennie, leader of the Scottish LibDems, said Nolan has a “great chance of winning”, stating: “Only a vote for Molly can stop the SNP here.”

Trad musician Nolan, from Evanton, left the Highlands for Harvard, where she studied the history of the British Empire and Scottish links to sugar plantations. She returned after graduating and now works in communications and advocacy.

Announcing her candidacy, she said: “With the coronavirus crisis leaving so many Highland residents facing financial hardship, it is more important than ever to address the inequalities in our communities. We must ensure no-one is left behind.

“I know that challenges in the Highlands have never been more acute, from the fragility of our tourism industry to increased cuts in local services. These issues are not being addressed by the SNP Government, which for the past 13 years has prioritised the centralisation of powers in Edinburgh over dealing with everyday concerns.

“I am determined to listen to as many people as possible and stand up for what matters. Liberal Democrats will protect jobs and services, safeguard our natural environment and ensure every young person across the Highlands has the opportunity to get on in life.”