# 1970 Zetland County Council election

Elections to the Zetland County Council were held on 12 May 1970 as part of Scottish local elections. Elections were held in every part of Shetland except Lerwick to elect 24 landward members to the County Council, who would be joined by nine nominated members from the Lerwick Town Council. Only five of 24 seats were contested.
Incumbent Council Convener Robert Johnson was unanimously re-elected for a second term after the election but would only serve a further two months until his death in July, after which Edward Thomason was elected to the position.

## Election results

Zetland County Council Election Result 1970 :
| Party | Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| | Independent | 24 | 0 | 0 | - | 100.0% | 100.0% | 1,042 | - |

## Ward Results

Aithsting :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Robert Garrick (Incumbent) | 161 | 56.5% |
| | Independent | Iain Caldwell | 124 | 43.5% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 37 | 13.0% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Bressay :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | James Irvine | 79 | 47.0% |
| | Independent | John Scott (Incumbent) | 56 | 33.3% |
| | Independent | Tom Black | 33 | 19.6% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23 | 13.7% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Burra :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | | No nominations | | |
Cunningsburgh :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | John McLeod (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Delting North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Fraser Peterson | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Delting South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | William Robb | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Dunrossness North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Iain Campbell (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Dunrossness South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Raymond Bentley (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Fetlar :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | John Laurenson | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Gulberwick and Quarff :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Robert Johnson (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Nesting and Lunnasting :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | William Hamilton (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Northmavine North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Andrew Cromarty (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Northmavine South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Hugh Sutherland (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Sandness :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | George Morrison | 68 | 82.9% |
| | Independent | Magnus Cheyne | 14 | 17.1% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 37 | 13.0% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Sandsting :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | A.I. Tulloch (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Sandwick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Thomas Stove | 199 | 70.1% |
| | Independent | George Jamieson | 52 | 18.3% |
| | Independent | Peter Duncan | 33 | 11.6% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 147 | 51.8% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Tingwall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Andrew Irvine (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Unst North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Edward Thomason (Incumbent) | 141 | 62.9% |
| | Independent | Alexander Lamb | 83 | 37.1% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 58 | 23.8% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Unst South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Alan Fraser | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Walls :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Williamina Tait | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Whalsay and Skerries :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | James Pottinger | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Whiteness and Weisdale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | | No nominations | | |
Yell North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Hugh Williamson | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Yell South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Robert Gray | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |

## By-elections since 1970

1970 Burra by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Barbara Anderson | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
1970 Whiteness and Weisdale by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | John Rae | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
1970 Gulberwick and Quarff by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Arthur Irvine | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
1971 Dunrossness North by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | James Leask | 55 | 78.6% |
| | Independent | Mary Fisher | 15 | 21.4% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 40 | 57.2% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
1972 Northmavine South by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | John Jamieson | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
1972 Burra by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | William Cumming | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |