SHE is a 25-year-old Shetlander and senior economic adviser to the SNP’s Westminster group, who is having her first crack at a parliamentary seat; he is a 51-year-old one-time Scottish Secretary who, in court, was branded a liar for his role in the leaking of a memo seeking to discredit Nicola Sturgeon.

Yet the battle for the Orkney and Shetland constituency involving Miriam Brett and Alistair Carmichael is far from a foregone conclusion. Two years ago Carmichael saw his majority slump by more than a fifth to just 817 – with the SNP second.

Brett, who was born and raised in Shetland, previously worked in policy research and played a prominent part in the 2014 referendum. She and Labour candidate Robina Barton are the first female candidates in the constituency in 20 years. Jamie Halcro Johnston is standing for the Tories and Robert Smith for Ukip.

“It was a privilege to grow up in such a unique and beautiful community, and I cannot think of a greater honour than representing my home constituency in Parliament,” said Brett. “People across these isles have needlessly been subjected to harmful, counterproductive cuts under both the LibDem-Conservative coalition and the current UK Government.

“We need only to look at the food bank usage across these isles to see the damage that this has caused. The SNP is the only opposition to have consistently voted against austerity, and I will use my voice at Westminster to unapologetically reject these cuts.”

Brett added that the realities of a “hard Brexit” posed a real threat to communities – from EU citizens living in the Northern Isles to the hardship it could cause for local businesses.