Orkney Islands Council 2022

The more southernly of the two Northern Isles archipelagos, Orkney are just a stones throw from the Scottish mainland. Scots used to the Central Belt and borders focus of much of our history may be surprised by just how important these islands have often been, home as they are to some truly spectacular remnants of a 5,000 year old culture. The capital at Kirkwall is also home to the no less imposing St Magnus Cathedral, which wouldn’t feel out of place in a major city. Combined with Stromness, roughly half of Orkney’s population lives in the biggest towns, with most of the rest spread across the rolling main island, and smaller portions across other isles.

Politically speaking, Orkney is part of a dual Westminster constituency with Shetland, and that has been Lib Dem (or Liberal before that) for many decades. So solid is that support for the party here that myself and many other election observers in Scotland would consider their losing it a sign of the end times. Holyrood has a separate constituency for each island group, and there Orkney has been similarly solidly Lib Dem.

At the local level, Orkney follows the clear tradition of islands Independents, though in 1982 and 1986 there was a single Orkney Movement councillor. That is the sum and total of non-Independent representation for almost the entire recent history of the council.