Minister for Community Safety
Mr Ewing was born in Glasgow in September 1957 and was educated at Edinburgh's Loretto School and then attended Glasgow University.
He was elected as MSP for Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber in 1999 and re-elected in 2003 and 2007. Prior to being elected, he ran his own law practice and developed SNP policy on small business and other matters as well as serving on the party's national executive.
He has served on a number of Scottish Parliament committees including the Subordinate Legislation Committee, Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, Finance, Local Government and Transport committee and was previously Shadow Minister for Transport, Tourism & Telecommunications.
He is the son of Winnie, formerly the MSP for Highlands and Islands and MEP for Scotland, and brother of Annabelle, formerly MP for Perth.
A former member of the Lomond Mountain Rescue Team, Mr Ewing has climbed around two thirds of Scotland's Munroes. He was also a keen runner and has taken part in several marathons, including New York. He enjoys listening to jazz and playing the piano in his spare time.