Residents are heading to the polls to elect the next Scottish Government - though the coronavirus pandemic means it could be more than 48 hours before all the results are counted.

Polling stations opened at 7am across the UK for several national and local elections, in what political geeks have decided to dub 'Super Thursday'.

Estimated declaration times have always come with a warning that they should be taken only as a rough guide.

However they have been especially difficult to produce this year as authorities are unsure how long it will take to count votes while keeping to social distancing requirements amid the pandemic.

Although voting ends at 10pm tonight [Thursday], the final total results are not expected until Monday.

In Scotland there is 73 first-past-the-post (FPTP) constituencies and eight regional proportional representation top-up seats, electing a total of 129 MSPs.

A majority of FPTP seats, 46 in all, are expected to be counted during the day on Friday, with results due from about lunchtime, peaking in the evening.

The Ayrshire seats of Ayr, Cunninghame North and Cunninghame South are expected to call at around 4pm.

Other constituencies are understood to be planning to count during the day on Saturday with results due from Carrick, Cumnock & Doon Valley at around 5pm.

Results from the eight regional PR top-up seats are expected on Saturday night, with the West Scotland region expected around 7pm.

In Cunninghame South incumbant SNP Ruth Maguire, Louise McPhater for Scottish Labour, David Rocks for the Scottish Conservatives, Tom Armstrong for the Scottish Liberal Democrats and Independent candidate Maurice Campbell.

In Cunninghame North Kenneth Gibson is in the running against former MP, now Baroness, Katy Clark for Labour, Jamie Greene for the Scottish Conservatives and Ruby Kirkwood for the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

In Ayr, John Scott for the Scottish Conservatives is up against Siobhian Brown for the Scottish National Party (SNP), Esther Clark Scottish Labour Party, Jamie Ross of the Scottish Liberal Democrats and Chic Brodie for Scotia Future.

In Carrick, Cumnock & Doon Valley, Elena Whitman is standing for the SNP, Carol Mochan for Scottish Labour, Sharon Dowey for the Scottish Conservatives and Kirsten Herbst-Gray forthe Scottish Liberal Democrats.