Christian MSP and Deputy First Minister of Scotland, Kate Forbes, has announced that she will not be seeking re-election next year.
Forbes said that she did not want to "miss any more of the precious early years of family life" with her young daughter.
Forbes is the MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch and will remain in office until the next elections to the Scottish Parliament take place in May 2026.
The departure of the 35 year old has given rise to concerns about the future of the SNP and whether it will shift further to the left.
At a time when many Scots are losing patience with the SNP's performance in power and its stance on transgender issues, she has retained her popularity, and is widely seen as a voice of common sense within the party.
Commenting on her resignation, Forbes told BBC Scotland News: "Over the last few years I have balanced the role of representing a large area in the Highlands with a government job as deputy first minister and having a small family.
"As I look ahead to the next election I have concluded that I don't want to miss any more of these precious early years of family life."
She added that the distance between her base in the Highlands and the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh had been challenging.
"I want to focus on supporting my family and I feel like it's not possible to do that with the distance involved and the total commitment required of this job," she said.
"I've loved serving Scotland, I've loved serving the SNP and my constituents over that decade and I look forward to continuing to campaign for the SNP at the upcoming election."
Many of Forbes' supporters feel she was robbed of the position of party leader after coming under fire for revealing that she would have voted against same-sex marriage in 2014 if she had been an MSP at the time.
She was strongly criticised at the time for her membership of the Free Church of Scotland, which is known for its traditionalist positions on marriage, abortion and sexuality, with opponents branding her a bigot.
She lost out in the leadership race to Muslim MSP, Humza Yousaf, who lasted just over a year before resigning amid a loss of support.
He was replaced by current First Minister John Swinney, who appointed Forbes as his deputy last year.
Mr Swinney paid tribute to Forbes in a statement to social media.
"The challenges of frontline politics are considerable, and I understand the decision she has made although I wish it was not the case," he said.
"I am pleased that Kate will continue to serve in my government and to make a significant contribution to the work of the Scottish National Party.
"I wish her and her family well and for every happiness for the future."
