This is one of the most beautiful constituencies in the United Kingdom. It covers nearly two million acres of mainland Scotland and islands such as Mull, Islay, Jura, Tiree, and since 1983 the island of Bute.
Every year, thousands of tourists visit the area, including Oban, a popular seaside resort. The region is also famous for its whisky with eight distilleries on Islay alone producing some of the finest malt whiskies in the world.
Other industry is limited to forestry, farming, boat building, fishing and fish farming. Holy Loch used to be the base for US Poseidon nuclear submarines but is now closed although a military presence remains in the form of RAF Machrihanish. Some 10% of the population remain Gaelic-speakers.
Argyll & Bute is the fourth largest constituency in Britain, and its remote nature means that personalities are often as important as parties when it comes to elections.
The seat has been in the hands of three different parties in the last 20 years: SNP 1974-79, the Tories 1979-87 and Mrs Ray Michie of the LibDems from 1987 until she announced that she was standing down.
Former Scottish Farmers Union President, George Lyon won the seat for the Liberal Democrats at the 1999 Scottish Parliament elections, with a 2,057 (6.4%) majority over the SNP.
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