# 1974 Western Isles Islands Council election

The first election to the Western Isles Islands Council was held on 7 May 1974 as part of the wider 1974 Scottish regional elections. All candidates stood as Independents, and 16 candidates were elected unopposed.
Several members of political parties ran as independent candidates. This included Roderick MacLeod in Shawbost, who had contested the Western Isles constituency for the Conservatives in 1970, and Mary McCormack, election agent for Labour candidate Andrew Wilson in February 1974, both of whom were unsuccessful.
After the election, Reverend Donald Macaulay and Stornoway Provost Sandy Matheson were tied in a 15-15 vote among councillors to become the council's first convener. Macaulay was elected upon the drawing of a lot.

## Aggregate results

Western Isles Council election, 1974 :
| Party | Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| | Independent | 30 | | | | 100.00 | 100.00 | 6,430 | |

## Ward results

Stornoway Newton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Sandy Matheson | 369 | 71.9% |
| | Independent | Alasdair MacLeod | 144 | 28.1% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 225 | 43.8% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Stornoway Goathill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Albert Nicoll | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Stornoway Bayhead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Alasdair Rae MacKenzie | 341 | 73.2% |
| | Independent | Marie MacMillan | 125 | 26.8% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 216 | 46.4% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Stornoway Manor :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | James Macrae | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Aignish :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | John Crichton | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Tiumpan :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Donald Mackay | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Gress :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Peter MacLeod | 310 | 59.3% |
| | Independent | George Mackay | 213 | 40.7% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 97 | 18.6% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Coll :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Kenneth MacDonald | 284 | 52.1% |
| | Independent | James MacLennan | 261 | 47.9% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23 | 4.2% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Port of Ness :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Donald Morrison | 277 | 60.0% |
| | Independent | Roderick Morrison | 185 | 40.0% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 92 | 20.0% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Dell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Kathleen MacAskill | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Barvas :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | John Paterson | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Shawbost :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Malcolm MacLeod | 238 | 41.0% |
| | Independent | Roderick MacLeod | 147 | 25.3% |
| | Independent | William MacLeod | 145 | 25.0% |
| | Independent | Angus MacLeod | 51 | 8.8% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 91 | 15.7% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Laxdale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Donald MacLeod | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Coulregrein :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Kenneth MacDonald | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Sandwick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | William MacDonald | 228 | 57.9% |
| | Independent | Mary McCormack | 166 | 42.1% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 92 | 15.8% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Uig East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Jack Macarthur | 371 | 81.4% |
| | Independent | Norman Maciver | 49 | 10.7% |
| | Independent | Malcolm Macarthur | 36 | 7.9% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 332 | 70.7% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Uig West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Donald Macaulay | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
North Lochs :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Donald Martin | 282 | 53.5% |
| | Independent | Angus MacLeod | 217 | 43.5% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 65 | 10.0% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Kinloch :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Ian Maclennan | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Lochs Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Malcolm Macinnes | 189 | 77.7% |
| | Independent | Joyce MacKay | 54 | 22.2% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 135 | 55.5% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Harris North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Donald Mackinnon | 318 | 72.8% |
| | Independent | John Halford-MacLeod | 119 | 27.2% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 119 | 45.6% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Harris Middle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Andrew Mundy | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Harris South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Wilfred Leonard | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
North Uist North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Roderick MacLeod | 338 | 73.6% |
| | Independent | Montague Ford | 121 | 26.4% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 217 | 47.2% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
North Uist South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | James Robertson | 193 | 50.8% |
| | Independent | John Macdonald | 156 | 41.1% |
| | Independent | James Macarthur | 31 | 8.2% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 37 | 9.7% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Benbecula :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Calum Maclennan | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
South Uist :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Dugald Morrison | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Lochboisdale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Roderick Mackinnon | 272 | 57.6% |
| | Independent | John Macinnes | 200 | 42.4% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 72 | 15.2% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Barra North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Reginald Allan | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Barra South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Hugh Morrison | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |