Orkney Islands Council Map
View the Orkney Islands council boundary. Explore local wards, election results and party seats. Buy digital map files for £15 including VAT, or order a print.
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May 2026 council boundary. Map © Mapbox and OpenStreetMap. Boundary data © ONS and Ordnance Survey.
Residents, mid-2025
21,920Wards
6Seats in 2026
21Latest result year
2022Party seats: 2026 snapshot
Download seat history (CSV)See seat breakdown. A majority of this seat total needs 11 seats. This annual archive is not a live record of party membership or the council administration.
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| Other | 20 |
| Green | 1 |
| Reported total | 21 |
“Other” can include several parties, independents and vacancies. It is not a single voting group. Source: Open Council Data.
Seat history: 1974–2026
These are annual snapshots. A change between years can reflect elections, by-elections, party changes or boundary changes. Older records follow council names and are not a constant-boundary series. The pre-2016 source combines Green and other smaller parties under “Other” and national parties under “Nationalist parties”.
| Year | Total | Party seats |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 21 | Green 1 · Other 20 |
| 2025 | 21 | Other 21 |
| 2024 | 21 | Green 2 · Other 19 |
| 2023 | 21 | Green 2 · Other 19 |
| 2022 | 21 | Green 2 · Other 19 |
| 2021 | 21 | Green 1 · Other 20 |
| 2020 | 21 | Green 1 · Other 20 |
| 2019 | 21 | Green 1 · Other 20 |
| 2018 | 21 | Green 1 · Other 20 |
| 2017 | 21 | Green 1 · Other 20 |
| 2016 | 21 | Green 1 · Other 20 |
| 2015 | 21 | Other 21 |
| 2014 | 21 | Other 21 |
| 2013 | 21 | Other 21 |
| 2012 | 21 | Other 21 |
| 2011 | 21 | Other 21 |
| 2010 | 21 | Other 21 |
| 2009 | 21 | Other 21 |
| 2008 | 21 | Other 21 |
| 2007 | 21 | Other 21 |
| 2006 | 21 | Other 21 |
| 2005 | 21 | Other 21 |
| 2004 | 21 | Other 21 |
| 2003 | 21 | Other 21 |
| 2002 | 21 | Other 21 |
| 2001 | 21 | Other 21 |
| 2000 | 21 | Other 21 |
| 1999 | 21 | Other 21 |
| 1998 | 27 | Other 27 |
| 1997 | 27 | Other 27 |
| 1996 | 27 | Other 27 |
| 1995 | 27 | Other 27 |
| 1994 | 27 | Other 27 |
| 1993 | 24 | Other 24 |
| 1992 | 24 | Other 24 |
| 1991 | 24 | Other 24 |
| 1990 | 24 | Other 24 |
| 1989 | 24 | Other 24 |
| 1988 | 24 | Other 24 |
| 1987 | 24 | Other 24 |
| 1986 | 24 | Other 24 |
| 1985 | 24 | Other 24 |
| 1984 | 24 | Other 24 |
| 1983 | 24 | Other 24 |
| 1982 | 24 | Other 24 |
| 1981 | 24 | Other 24 |
| 1980 | 24 | Other 24 |
| 1979 | 24 | Other 24 |
| 1978 | 24 | Other 24 |
| 1977 | 23 | Other 23 |
| 1976 | 23 | Other 23 |
| 1975 | 23 | Other 23 |
| 1974 | 23 | Other 23 |
Orkney Islands Council and Local Areas
Scottish council in Scotland. Official council code: S12000023. Open a ward to see its map and recorded election results.
Councils in Scotland · Boundary data (GeoJSON)
Browse all 6 mapped areas
- East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and BurrayS13003150 · Ward
- Kirkwall EastS13003151 · Ward
- Kirkwall West and OrphirS13003152 · Ward
- North IslesS13002737 · Ward
- Stromness and South IslesS13002734 · Ward
- West MainlandS13002735 · Ward
Recorded election results
Download all recorded results (CSV)6 recorded areas in 2022. These figures describe the contests held in that year. They do not describe every seat on the council. Historical areas can differ from the current map.
Seats won in the recorded contests
- 19 Independent
- 2 Scottish Green Party
Declared winners in this source only. This is not a council-wide vote share or a current seat total.
The supplied 2026 candidate download does not include votes or winners. The 2026 seat archive above is a different dataset. Download the separate 2026 candidate lists (CSV).
Ward 1 - Kirkwall East Ward4 declared winners · 45.9% turnout
Electorate: 3,700. Ballot papers: 1,700. Source and method.
STV election. Votes below are first preferences. Later transfers determine who is elected.
| Candidate | Party | First preferences | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Ross SCOTT | Scottish Green Party | 476 | Elected |
| Steven HEDDLE | Independent | 428 | Elected |
| Gwenda SHEARER | Independent | 413 | Elected |
| David DAWSON | Independent | 285 | Elected |
| Graham MACDONALD | Independent | 92 | Not elected |
In a multi-member contest a voter can cast more than one candidate vote. Do not use the sum of candidate votes as turnout. A blank vote figure can indicate an uncontested election or missing source data.
Ward 2 - Kirkwall West and Orphir Ward4 declared winners · 42.8% turnout
Electorate: 3,630. Ballot papers: 1,553. Source and method.
STV election. Votes below are first preferences. Later transfers determine who is elected.
| Candidate | Party | First preferences | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leslie MANSON | Independent | 320 | Elected |
| Ivan TAYLOR | Independent | 252 | Elected |
| Sandy COWIE | Independent | 250 | Elected |
| Kristopher LEASK | Scottish Green Party | 211 | Elected |
| Leslie SINCLAIR | Independent | 175 | Not elected |
| Beverly CLUBLEY | Independent | 159 | Not elected |
| Barbara FOULKES | Independent | 155 | Not elected |
| Cameron WHITTLE | Independent | 21 | Not elected |
In a multi-member contest a voter can cast more than one candidate vote. Do not use the sum of candidate votes as turnout. A blank vote figure can indicate an uncontested election or missing source data.
Ward 3 - Stromness and South Isles Ward3 declared winners · 51.8% turnout
Electorate: 2,233. Ballot papers: 1,157. Source and method.
STV election. Votes below are first preferences. Later transfers determine who is elected.
| Candidate | Party | First preferences | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| James STOCKAN | Independent | 353 | Elected |
| Graham BEVAN | Independent | 281 | Elected |
| Lindsay HALL | Independent | 175 | Elected |
| Maia BRODIE | Scottish Green Party | 157 | Not elected |
| Rob CRICHTON | Independent | 115 | Not elected |
| Magnus THOMSON | Independent | 69 | Not elected |
In a multi-member contest a voter can cast more than one candidate vote. Do not use the sum of candidate votes as turnout. A blank vote figure can indicate an uncontested election or missing source data.
Ward 4 - West Mainland Ward4 declared winners · 51.0% turnout
Electorate: 3,633. Ballot papers: 1,851. Source and method.
STV election. Votes below are first preferences. Later transfers determine who is elected.
| Candidate | Party | First preferences | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owen TIERNEY | Independent | 554 | Elected |
| Rachael Anne KING | Independent | 477 | Elected |
| Jean STEVENSON | Independent | 284 | Elected |
| Duncan TULLOCK | Independent | 237 | Elected |
| Helen WOODSFORD-DEAN | Scottish Green Party | 217 | Not elected |
| Sean LEWIS | Independent | 64 | Not elected |
In a multi-member contest a voter can cast more than one candidate vote. Do not use the sum of candidate votes as turnout. A blank vote figure can indicate an uncontested election or missing source data.
Ward 5 - East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray Ward3 declared winners · 50.7% turnout
Electorate: 2,664. Ballot papers: 1,351. Source and method.
STV election. Votes below are first preferences. Later transfers determine who is elected.
| Candidate | Party | First preferences | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raymie PEACE | Independent | 642 | Elected |
| Gillian SKUSE | Independent | 278 | Elected |
| Eric PAGE | Scottish Green Party | 195 | Not elected |
| Julie RICKARDS | Independent | 118 | Not elected |
| James MOAR | Independent | 111 | Elected |
In a multi-member contest a voter can cast more than one candidate vote. Do not use the sum of candidate votes as turnout. A blank vote figure can indicate an uncontested election or missing source data.
Ward 6 - North Isles Ward3 declared winners · 56.1% turnout
Electorate: 1,853. Ballot papers: 1,039. Source and method.
STV election. Votes below are first preferences. Later transfers determine who is elected.
| Candidate | Party | First preferences | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heather WOODBRIDGE | Independent | 443 | Elected |
| Stephen CLACKSON | Independent | 256 | Elected |
| Mellissa THOMSON | Independent | 204 | Elected |
| Paul RENDALL | Independent | 76 | Not elected |
| Sebastian HADFIELD-HYDE | Independent | 50 | Not elected |
In a multi-member contest a voter can cast more than one candidate vote. Do not use the sum of candidate votes as turnout. A blank vote figure can indicate an uncontested election or missing source data.
Check the council by-election directory. The absence of an upcoming contest here does not confirm that no election is due.
Councillors: 2026 archive
Download councillors (CSV)21 member records from the Open Council Data post-May archive. Members can change party, resign or be replaced. Use the council’s own member register for current contact details.
21 records shown
| Councillor | Ward or division | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Gillian Skuse | East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray | Independent / Other |
| James Moar | East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray | Independent / Other |
| Raymie Peace | East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray | Independent / Other |
| David Dawson | Kirkwall East | Independent / Other |
| Gwenda Shearer | Kirkwall East | Independent / Other |
| John Ross Scott | Kirkwall East | Independent / Other |
| Steven Heddle | Kirkwall East | Independent / Other |
| Ivan Taylor | Kirkwall West and Orphir | Independent / Other |
| Kristopher Leask | Kirkwall West and Orphir | Scottish Green Party |
| Leslie Manson | Kirkwall West and Orphir | Independent / Other |
| Sandy Cowie | Kirkwall West and Orphir | Independent / Other |
| Heather Woodbridge | North Isles | Independent / Other |
| Mellissa Thomson | North Isles | Independent / Other |
| Stephen Clackson | North Isles | Independent / Other |
| Graham Bevan | Stromness and South Isles | Independent / Other |
| Janette Park | Stromness and South Isles | Independent / Other |
| Lindsay Hall | Stromness and South Isles | Independent / Other |
| Duncan Tullock | West Mainland | Independent / Other |
| Jean Stevenson | West Mainland | Independent / Other |
| Owen Tierney | West Mainland | Independent / Other |
| Rachael King | West Mainland | Independent / Other |
Local figures
Download local figures (CSV)Each table has its own date, unit and source. Census categories can contain subcategories. Do not add all rows together. Residents, households and electors are different measures.
Population by ageMid-2025
Unit: people. Source and definitions.
| Measure | people |
|---|---|
| All ages | 21,920 |
| Under 16 | 3,346 |
| Age 16 to 64 | 12,697 |
| Age 65 and over | 5,877 |
Population history2011–2025
Unit: people. Source and definitions.
| Measure | people |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 21,420 |
| 2012 | 21,500 |
| 2013 | 21,510 |
| 2014 | 21,510 |
| 2015 | 21,520 |
| 2016 | 21,640 |
| 2017 | 21,730 |
| 2018 | 21,830 |
| 2019 | 21,870 |
| 2020 | 21,970 |
| 2021 | 22,030 |
| 2022 | 22,030 |
| 2023 | 22,010 |
| 2024 | 22,000 |
| 2025 | 21,920 |
Census residentsCensus 2022
Unit: people (rounded). Source and definitions.
| Measure | people (rounded) |
|---|---|
| All persons | 22,000 |
| Females | 11,200 |
| Males | 10,800 |
GDP history (archived release)1998–2019
Unit: GBP millions. Source and definitions. Historic economic output at current market prices. This is an old release, not a current local economy estimate.
| Measure | GBP millions |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 313 |
| 1999 | 333 |
| 2000 | 350 |
| 2001 | 371 |
| 2002 | 377 |
| 2003 | 413 |
| 2004 | 451 |
| 2005 | 494 |
| 2006 | 511 |
| 2007 | 532 |
| 2008 | 562 |
| 2009 | 574 |
| 2010 | 592 |
| 2011 | 627 |
| 2012 | 629 |
| 2013 | 598 |
| 2014 | 613 |
| 2015 | 632 |
| 2016 | 625 |
| 2017 | 624 |
| 2018 | 618 |
| 2019 | 626 |
About the data
We use ONS boundaries, published election results, Open Council Data seat and member records, and official population, census and local finance statistics. Each table shows its date. Read about the sources, coverage and methods.
