1974 Orkney Islands Council election

The 1974 Orkney Islands Council election, the first election to Orkney Islands Council, was held on 7 May 1974 as part of the wider 1974 Scottish regional elections. Only independent candidates contested the election and eight seats were uncontested.

1974 Orkney Islands Council election

7 May 1974
All 23 seats to Orkney Islands Council 12 seats needed for a majority
First party   Leader George Marwick Party Independent Leader's seat Birsay Seats won 23 Popular vote 4,818 Percentage 100.0%
Council Convener after election George Marwick Independent

The newly elected Orkney Islands Council existed as a shadow authority until 1975, when it inherited sole authority for local government in Orkney from the Orkney County Council, Kirkwall Town Council and Stromness Town Council.

Results

1974 Orkney Islands election

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Independent	23	N/A	N/A	N/A	100.0	100.0%	4,818	N/A

Ward Results

St Magnus

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	O. Work	145	35.5%
	Independent	T. Taylor	101	24.8%
	Independent	J. McRae	87	21.3%
	Independent	W. Sinclair	75	18.4%
Majority			44	10.7%
	Independent hold

Papdale

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	William Groundwater	119	44.6%
	Independent	Ruby Leslie	73	27.3%
	Independent	M. Heddle	44	16.5%
	Independent	A. Rorie	31	11.6%
Majority			46	17.3%
	Independent hold

Broadsands

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Edwin Eunson	199	53.4%
	Independent	L. Stiff	98	26.3%
	Independent	P. Gorie	76	20.4%
Majority			101	27.1%
	Independent hold

St Olaf's

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Sybil Roebuck	177	52.8%
	Independent	Georgina Leitch	158	47.2%
Majority			19	5.6%
	Independent hold

Quoybanks

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	R. Hancock	152	45.2%
	Independent	W. Muir	98	29.2%
	Independent	I. Smith	59	17.6%
	Independent	J. Hay	27	8.0%
Majority			54	16.0%
	Independent hold

Stromness South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	William Knight	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Stromness North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Brenda Robertson	250	76.0%
	Independent	J. Bannerman	79	24.0%
Majority			171	52.0%
	Independent hold

St. Ola

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	J. Scott	243	76.0%
	Independent	P. Konstan	73	23.1%
Majority			170	52.9%
	Independent hold

Harray & Firth

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Laura Grimond	309	61.8%
	Independent	J. Firth	191	38.2%
Majority			181	13.6%
	Independent hold

Stenness & Orphir

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	R. Macrae	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Sandwick

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	W. Firth	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

St Andrews & Deerness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Jackie Tait	174	55.8%
	Independent	R. Bain	130	44.2%
Majority			34	11.6%
	Independent hold

Birsay

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	George Marwick	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Evie & Rendall

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	George Stevenson	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Stromness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	John Chalmers	78	47.0%
	Independent	D. Ritch	38	22.9%
	Independent	J.R.T. Robertson	21	12.7%
	Independent	W. Kirkpatrick	19	11.5%
	Independent	J. Thomson	10	6.0%
Majority			40	24.1%
	Independent hold

Holm

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	J. Laughton	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Burray & South Ronaldsay

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Alex Annal	279	71.4%
	Independent	L. Park	112	28.6%
Majority			167	42.8%
	Independent hold

Hoy & Flotta

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Ewen Traill	172	55.5%
	Independent	John Groat	109	35.2%
	Independent	C. Mackenzie	29	9.4%
Majority			63	20.3%
	Independent hold

North Ronaldsay & Sanday

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Christine Muir	269	71.9%
	Independent	D. Sinclair	105	28.1%
Majority			164	43.8%
	Independent hold

Holm

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	J. Scott	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Eday & Stronsay

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	J. Groat	134	53.6%
	Independent	Mavis Bennett	116	46.4%
Majority			18	7.2%
	Independent hold

Rousay

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	N. Firth	117	69.2%
	Independent	G. Scott-Moncrieff	52	30.8%
Majority			65	38.4%
	Independent hold

Shapinsay

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Tadeusz Zawadski	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold