Glasgow sends seven new MSPs to Holyrood this week in the biggest shake-up the Scottish Parliament has seen.

Three of the SNP's seven MSPs in the city are newcomers and Labour's defeat in so many constituencies means they have MSPs representing Glasgow via the list system for the first time, bringing three new faces.

One new Conservative takes her seat after veteran Tory politician Bill Aitken, stood down while the party also held its sole list seat.

Some of the new MSPs are experienced politicians having either been at Westminster or had long careers in council politics.

Others are unknowns, some tipped as names for the future, while others are "accidental" MSPs who were not expected to win.

Here is our guide to all the new recruits.

JOHN MASON

SHETTLESTON (SNP)

Famously won the Glasgow East Westminster by-election in 2008 only to lose the seat at last year's General Election.

A former city councillor and very popular MP.

The 51-year-old former accountant cites involvement in his local Baptist Church in Easterhouse among his interests and has worked in Nepal on a joint worldwide churches mission.

His by-election victory in a Labour heartland shot him to fame on a national scale and he was described by Alex Salmond as a political earthquake. He said his latest win, ousting Frank McAveety, was a "miracle".

JAMES DORNAN

CATHCART (SNP)

The leader of the SNP council group in Glasgow, Mr Dornan was a surprise winner in Cathcart.

He had previously been sel-ected to fight the Glasgow North East by-election, but withdrew after reports about his finances.

He has been a critic of the Labour-run council's arm's-length external organisation policy, while he received payments for his role on the board of the SECC and on the City Marketing Bureau.

Mr Dornan previously worked for MSP Stewart Maxwell and was involved in formulation of his early bid to introduce a smoking ban.

HANZALA MALIK

GLASGOW (LAB)

A long-serving Glasgow councillor and Labour's first Asian MSP, Mr Malik was born in the city to a Pakis-tani father and Scottish mother. Mr Malik has been a councillor since 1995. His previous jobs include being a traffic warden and a financial consultant.

He has held numerous senior posts within the council and is currently chairman of Glasgow City Heritage Trust. He is paid extra as deputy chairman of the City Marketing Bureau.

DREW SMITH

GLASGOW (LAB)

Second on Labour's second vote List, Mr Smith did not seriously expect to be elected but as a young party activist was delighted to be selected as a candidate. He worked for former MSP Pauline McNeill for three years three years at Holyrood and is a local party official. Mr Smith was a campaign organiser at previous elections in 2007 and 2010.

His job before the election was as a policy official in the voluntary sector.

He has previously worked as a barman and lifeguard.

ANNE McTAGGART

GLASGOW (LAB)

Third on the Labour list, Anne McTaggart is another new MSP no-one had any serious expectation of being elected.

She became a city councillor in Drumchapel/ Anniesland two years ago, in a by-election, caused by the resignation of Bill Kidd, who was ending his dual mandate as councillor and MSP.

Ms McTaggart is an ally of former council leader Steven Purcell, and is close to Stephen Curran, a senior councillor and defeated candidate in Southside. Her councillor's salary has been boosted by almost £20,000 from payments from three council ALEOs.

HUMZA YOUSAF

GLASGOW (SNP)

MR YOUSAF was almost guaranteed a place at Holyrood.

He had secured second place on the SNP list and was effectively propelled up to number one when Nicola Sturgeon won her Southside seat.

Mr Yousaf has been a regular face around the Scottish Parliament for many years.

He worked for Glasgow MSPs Anne McLaughlin and the late Bashir Ahmed, as well as Ms Surgeon and Alex Salmond.

The Glasgow University politics graduate is tipped as a future rising star in the SNP, and has been a regular commentator on television and radio representing the SNP.

RUTH DAVIDSON

GLASGOW (CON)

Elected as the lone non-list Tory in Glasgow, Ms Davidson takes over from Bill Aitken.

The 31-year-old is one of the new young breed, who it is hoped will change the image of the Tory Party north of the Border in order to appeal to a wider and younger selection of the electorate.

Ms Davidson has been working as an aide to outgoing Scottish Tory leader Annabel Goldie and gained recognition for fighting a spirited – if thankless – campaign in the 2009 Glasgow North East by election.

And she contested the seat again at the General Election last year.

She is a former BBC journalist and an ex-TA soldier.

Back in: How city MSPs are set to fare

Glasgow will still have many familiar faces at Holyrood with nine returned for another five years.

Labour has kept Patricia Ferguson, Johann Lamont and Paul Martin who have all been MSPs since 1999, and James Kelly is returned in Rutherglen while the SNP retained their own two ever-presents Nicola Sturgeon and Sandra White, as well as Bill Kidd and Bob Doris elected for a second time.

Patrick Harvie is elected for the third time in a row for the Greens.

Ms Sturgeon will have the highest profile again as Deputy First Minister and is expected to remain as Health Secretary. She will take on a new responsibility for a Minister for Cities.

Labour will begin the search for a new leader and Ms Lamont as deputy could be a contender, while Ms Ferguson is one of the party's most experienced MSPs as a former deputy Presiding Officer and Culture Sport and Tourism minister.

Mr Martin has been deputy business manager. He could play a role in internal organisation again and may become one of the senior MSPs in the group.

Mr Kidd is unlikely to be involved in any ministerial positions but his experience and role as deputy whip last term could see him involved in organising the larger SNP group.

Mr Doris is also unlikely to have a ministerial role, but is young enough to wait for an opportunity and will be hoping to impress in his second term.

Patrick Harvie's hopes of being involved in coalition talks disappeared when his party's predicted increase in seats failed to materialise and the SNP won an outright majority. He faces a challenge to get Green issues on the agenda.

He can expect a key committee role again, having chaired the Transport Committee last term.