Latest headlines
- Victory for the SNP with 63 seats - two short of a majority
- Conservatives are the second largest party on 31 seats - but Labour on 24 lost 13 seats
- Scottish Greens are the fourth largest party with six seats, ahead of the Lib Dems who won five
- See the changing political map of Scotland
Scoreboard
| Party | Candidates | Votes | % | Net percentage change in seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party LD Scottish Lib Dems | CandidatesLiam McArthur | Votes7,096 | 67.4% | Net percentage change in seats+31.6 |
| Party SNP Scottish National Party | CandidatesDonna Heddle | Votes2,562 | 24.3% | Net percentage change in seats−0.8 |
| Party CON Scottish Conservatives | CandidatesJamie Halcro Johnston | Votes435 | 4.1% | Net percentage change in seats−4.3 |
| Party LAB Scottish Labour | CandidatesGerry McGarvey | Votes304 | 2.9% | Net percentage change in seats−2.7 |
| Party IND Independent | CandidatesPaul Dawson | Votes137 | 1.3% | Net percentage change in seats+1.3 |
Change compared with 2011 | ||||
Turnout and Majority
Scottish Lib Dems Majority
4,534Turnout
62.0%Constituency Profile
The Orkney Islands is the UK's second most northerly seat and is separated from the Scottish mainland by a seven-mile stretch of the Pentland Firth. The seat consists of 70 islands, only 20 of which are inhabited. There are two main towns: Kirkwall, the capital and administrative centre; and Stromness. Both are on the largest island, which is known as "the mainland".
Besides the oil terminal at Flotta, the main industry in Orkney is farming, closely followed by tourism. The marine renewable sector is also a significant employer.
The Liberal Democrats and their forebears have held the Westminster seat of Orkney and Shetland since 1950. The former leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Jim Wallace, represented Orkney in the Scottish Parliament, where he served as deputy first minister before standing down. The Lib Dems held on to the seat in the Holyrood poll in 2007, and again in 2011 when Liam McArthur was elected.
