Scotland's First Minister John Swinney has appointed his new cabinet
Jenny Gilruth has been handed the finance role as well as being appointed deputy first minister
Angela Constance moves to health and former health secretary Neil Gray moves to the justice brief
Earlier, Swinney was sworn in as first minister during a short ceremony at the Court of Session in Edinburgh
The SNP leader was re-elected as FM by MSPs on Tuesday
He pledged to be a first minister for all and said he would work with other parties to achieve common goals
Now we know who the members of the cabinet are, here are their roles:
So, we know who's in the cabinet. We just don't know who will be doing what.
The media - pictured here earlier - are waiting for the by-now-traditional group photo of the top team.
The whole afternoon has been carefully choreographed and it's nearing the end.
We will keep you posted on who's coming and going, the state of the weather, and any gossip our team picks up in Charlotte Square.
Despite being a new arrival at Holyrood, Stephen Flynn is one of the SNP’s best-known faces.
Hotly tipped as a future first minister, he is one of two SNP politicians to have swapped Westminster for the Scottish Parliament, as the new MSP for Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine.
Previously the SNP leader in Westminster, he has become known for his sharp tongue and humorous comments in the chamber.
He followed his father’s footsteps by becoming as politician. His dad is Mark Flynn, the leader of Dundee City Council.
Flynn suffered hip problems since his teens and was said to be in regular pain until he had hip replacement surgery in 2020.
And as a Dundee United fan, it might be no surprise he once admitted his favourite summer tipple is a bright orange Aperol spritz.
Image source, PA Media
Kirsten Campbell
BBC Scotland political correspondent
We understand that’s it for the cabinet. It’s down to nine cabinet secretaries, down from 12 before the election.
Stephen Flynn, former SNP Westminster leader, is an ambitious man.
He’s tipped as a future party leader, though for now there’s no vacancy.
He joked on arrival at Bute House that at least the rain wouldn’t mess up his hair.
And when the black door of Bute House remained firmly closed against him, journalists wondered if his arrival had been a wind up, before it eventually opened and let him in to join the cabinet.
So what job does John Swinney give the man who is eyeing up his own? Perhaps one to keep him too busy to pursue other avenues?
We’ll know soon enough.
Image source, PA MediaShirley-Anne Sommerville is something of a cabinet stalwart and was seen as a close ally of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
She was first elected to Holyrood as an MSP for the Lothians in 2007 before losing her seat in 2011. She unsuccessfully tried to get re-elected in a 2013 Dunfermline by-election.
It was 2016 before she got her foot back in the door.
Since then, she has held several key cabinet roles such including social security, education and social justice.
Within these roles, she oversaw replacing the SQA and proposed reforms to the gender recognition act.
During her hiatus for Holyrood, she worked as a director for Yes Scotland and has also worked for the Royal College of Nursing.
Kirsten Campbell
BBC Scotland political correspondent
Stephen Flynn has arrived.
He's the first newly-elected MSP to join the cabinet.
But the door to Bute House was closed and he had to wait to be let in.
Image source, PA MediaA former college lecturer, Gillian Martin’s political career was very much inspired by the independence movement, joining the SNP the day after the 2014 referendum.
She was elected in 2016 to Alex Salmond’s old Aberdeenshire East seat in 2016. She hit the ground running and proposed legislation for seat belts to become mandatory on school transport, which became law in 2017.
In 2018, Martin was due to take up the role as a junior education minister in Nicola Sturgeon’s cabinet but was sacked before taking office after offensive comments she made in a blog were revealed.
Martin apologised "unreservedly" for the "inappropriate and offensive" remarks she made about transgender people.
Gillian Martin finally made it into government in 2023 and has held the roles of Climate Action minister as well as Secretary for Net Zero and Energy.
Image source, PA MediaAway from the elegance of Charlotte Square and its rain-soaked journalists, Bishop John Keenan, who is president of the Bishops' Conference in Scotland, has welcomed the appointment of John Swinney as first minister.
In a statement he said: "I warmly congratulate John Swinney on his re-appointment as first minister of Scotland and wish him every success in the weeks and months ahead.
"The Catholic church looks forward to the opportunity for constructive engagement with Mr Swinney and his government on the priorities facing people and communities across Scotland.
"I assure him, and all members of the Scottish Parliament, of our prayers."
The former Social Justice Secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville, is the seventh senior SNP figure to arrive.
We are now more than two-thirds of the way to knowing who's in the new cabinet, if not what they'll all be doing.
Image source, PA MediaKirsten Campbell
BBC Scotland political correspondent
Like a good Scottish picnic it’s now pouring with rain and the assembled journalists have got their brollies out.
Angus Cochrane
BBC Scotland senior political reporter
When John Swinney took over as first minister from Humza Yousaf he favoured continuity over upheaval, maintaining largely the same top team - and even the same advisers.
But his new cabinet will have a distinctly fresh feel.
Of the 12 cabinet secretaries in the last government, five have departed.
Former Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, Finance Secretary Shona Robison, Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop and Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon all stood down at this month's election, while former Culture Secretary Angus Robertson lost his seat.
Although Swinney is expected to trim the size of his cabinet, there will still be several roles to fill.
Former Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth is replacing Forbes as deputy first minister, while Ivan McKee seems set to be promoted from his role as public finance minister.
We now know Màiri McAllan, Gillian Martin, Angela Constance and Neil Gray are returning. We don't yet know in what roles.
Might former MPs Stephen Flynn, Alison Thewliss or Stephen Gethins be parachuted into government?
We will have answers to all of these questions shortly.
Gray's parliamentary days started when he was elected as MP for Airdrie and Shotts in 2015. He resigned five years later in order to try and get elected to Holyrood.
Once in Holyrood, it wasn't long before he was was given a ministerial role becoming responsible for culture, Europe and international development.
After leading Humza Yousaf's campaign to become first minister, he was rewarded with the role of wellbeing economy, fair work and energy minister. In 2024, John Swinney moved him to the role of health secretary, which he held until parliament dissolved.
Outside politics, Gray was once a keen athlete, representing Scotland in the 400m until a serious knee injury ended his running career.
He is a keen Aberdeen and Scotland supporter but previously had to apologise after using ministerial cars to attend matches.
Born and raised in Orkney, he took his oath to parliament in both English and Orcadian.
Image source, PA MediaThe Aberdeenshire East MSP Gillian Martin has made her way along the square now.
She's spent much of her time in government concentrating on climate change, net zero and energy.
She tells the media she's "happy with any job happy to serve".
Image source, PA Media
'A bit of a jigsaw puzzle' - how the first minister puts a cabinet together
Lynsey Bews
BBC Scotland political correspondent
Putting together a cabinet is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle - the first minister will have given careful consideration to who fits in where and how the whole picture will finally look.
Factors like ministerial experience, political performance and candidates' backgrounds pre-politics are all in the mix, alongside gender balance and future potential.
I'm told John Swinney has taken soundings from his advisers, who have offered opinions on who should get which brief.
But ultimately, it's up to him.
Today's appointments at Bute House have been painstakingly choreographed and timed, with the whole process taking several hours.
That's because, alongside staggered arrivals and individual meetings with the first minister, each appointee has to complete a series of formalities including civil service meetings.
You could say it's a bit of a cabinet secretary conveyor belt within the official residence, all of it culminating in a classic family photo on the steps later this afternoon.
Kirsten Campbell
BBC Scotland political correspondent
The reshuffle is going to plan, according to one government adviser who popped out to pick up some lunch.
“Nobody’s said 'no' yet” he told me.
Neil Gray is next up the steps of the FM's house (and office).
He tells the waiting journalists he's hoping for "the opportunity to serve the people of Scotland again".
Image source, PA MediaUntil just under an hour ago, Màiri McAllan was widely expected to end today as deputy first minister.
She's risen rapidly through the ranks of the SNP, holding roles covering the environment, net zero and transport.
She has been an MSP since 2021 and represents the Clydesdale constituency but before entering frontline politics worked as a corporate lawyer specialising in energy and natural resources.
She also served as a special adviser to the Scottish government on environmental policy before being elected.
Since moving into the housing brief in 2025, she has been responsible for tackling issues such as homelessness, housing supply, and what ministers have described as a housing emergency.
Image source, PA MediaAnd now Màiri McAllan has arrived.
Asked whether she was disappointed not to have been appointed deputy first minister, the former cabinet secretary for housing said she was happy to serve her country.
Image source, PA MediaKirsten Campbell
BBC Scotland political correspondent
The first minister is planning to cut the size of his government.
With public sector reform going to be such a feature of this parliament, John Swinney has decided to lead from the front and trim the number of ministers.
That will mean a restructuring of portfolios too.
At the time of the election there were 12 members of the cabinet, including the FM, and 11 junior ministers.
But nine of them either stood down or lost their seats, which gives the first minister flexibility to make changes without having to sack anybody.
