# 1977 City of Edinburgh District Council election

Elections for the City of Edinburgh District Council took place on 3 May 1977, alongside elections to the councils of Scotland's various other districts. These were the second election to the City of Edinburgh District Council. Conservatives won a majority with 34 of the Council's 64 seats. Across Scotland the elections saw the Conservatives and SNP make gains, while Labour lost seats. The Glasgow Herald said the Conservatives gaining control of Edinburgh District Council "crowned" what was "a night of considerable success" for the party.
Writing in The Glasgow Herald, journalist Tom McConnell stated that "it was a disappointing night" for the SNP in Edinburgh, as while the party came close to taking several seats from Labour, in the end they managed to gain just four seats and also failed to trouble the Conservatives. He also blamed the Liberal result, which saw the party lose two of the three seats they had held, on voters reacting negatively to the recent Lib-Lab pact.

## Aggregate results

City of Edinburgh District Council election, 1977 :
| Party | Seats | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 34 | 4 | 53.1 | 44.8 | 73,159 | 3.8 |
| Labour | 23 | 6 | 35.9 | 26.6 | 43,459 | 9.4 |
| SNP | 5 | 4 | 7.8 | 19.3 | 31,525 | 12.6 |
| Liberal | 1 | 2 | 1.6 | 7.9 | 12,873 | 5.6 |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 1,703 | 0.7 |
| Communist | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 238 | 0.1 |
| Independent Labour | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 228 | New |
| Scottish Socialist | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 170 | New |

## Ward results

Ward 1: Holyrood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | B Rutherford (Incumbent) | 965 |
| | SNP | A. Dear | 531 |
| | Conservative | T. Davies | 518 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 454 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 2: Meadows :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | R. Canns (Incumbent) | 708 |
| | Conservative | J. Boal | 663 |
| | SNP | J. Mitchell | 383 |
| | Liberal | J. R. Wallace | 127 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 45 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 3: Lochrin :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | W. K. Macfarlane (Incumbent) | 1,253 |
| | Labour | G. I. Greene | 674 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 579 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 4: Tron :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | J. A. Mitchell | 675 |
| | SNP | C. A. McAdam | 462 |
| | Conservative | P. McCormack | 419 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 213 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 5: Dalry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | SNP | May Moss | 669 | |
| | Labour | A. Milne | 558 | |
| | Conservative | P. M. Smaill | 434 | |
| | Dalry Peoples' Candidate | A. McCue | 360 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 81 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | SNP gain from Labour | SNP gain from Labour | SNP gain from Labour | SNP gain from Labour |
Ward 6: Tynecastle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Elizabeth R. Mackenzie (Incumbent) | 592 |
| | Conservative | Isabella I. R. Jones | 546 |
| | SNP | Jennifer M. Law | 418 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 46 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 7: Moat :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | J. C. Wilson | 651 |
| | SNP | Joan Crawford | 608 |
| | Conservative | K. Alexander | 489 |
| | Liberal | T. B. Aitkin | 489 |
| | Independent Labour | D. Swanson | 228 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 43 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 8: Polworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal | J. G. Gray (Incumbent) | 985 |
| | Labour | Joan F. W. Fleming | 676 |
| | Conservative | J. Taylor | 550 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 409 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 9: Churchill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | K. G. Ferguson | 1,122 |
| | Liberal | Elizabeth C. Coates | 633 |
| | Labour | D. D. Johnston | 261 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 489 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 10: Braid :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Nancy H. Mansbridge (Incumbent) | 2,735 |
| | Liberal | B.A. Ritchie | 732 |
| | Labour | D. D. Johnston | 293 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,003 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 11: Sciennes :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | E. M. Kean (Incumbent) | 1,385 |
| | Liberal | J. G. Hamilton | 535 |
| | Labour | D. J. Mackenzie | 333 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 850 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 12: Marchmont :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | R. Brereton (Incumbent) | 1,611 |
| | Liberal | M. G. Falchikov | 892 |
| | Labour | R. Imrie | 318 |
| | Communist | Carol Downs | 64 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 719 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 13: Prestonfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | D. Ritchie (Incumbent) | 1,717 |
| | Labour | Jessie Rogan | 951 |
| | SNP | D. R. L. Stewart | 696 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 766 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 14: Mayfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Margaret E. S. Houston (Incumbent) | 1,849 |
| | Labour | R. A. P. Worral | 574 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,275 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 15: Inch :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | J. C. Campbell (Incumbent) | 1,629 |
| | SNP | A. McCallum | 1,077 |
| | Conservative | Caroline Peploe | 531 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 552 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 16: Gilmerton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | R.M. Lonie (Incumbent) | 1,432 |
| | SNP | C. C. Laing | 619 |
| | Conservative | J. M. O. Lewis | 612 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 813 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 17: Alnwickhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | A. P. Metcalfe (Incumbent) | 1,342 |
| | Labour | D. A. Graham | 860 |
| | Liberal | W. D. McLaren | 274 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 482 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 18: Kaimes :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | B. R. MacKenzie (Incumbent) | 1,115 |
| | Conservative | H. W. De Burgh | 955 |
| | SNP | A. G. Symington | 820 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 160 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 19: Merchiston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | J. L. Walls | 1,600 | |
| | Liberal | J. F. Lawrie | 1,430 | |
| | Labour | T. J. H. Fenton | 300 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 170 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal |
Ward 20: Alnwickhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | J. D. Maclennen (Incumbent) | 2,574 |
| | SNP | Shena R. Cole | 395 |
| | Liberal | L. F. Nichols | 338 |
| | Labour | W. Crosbie | 234 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,179 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 21: Fairmilehead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | B. A. Meek (Incumbent) | 2,795 |
| | SNP | R. O. Socle | 1,013 |
| | Labour | F. R. N. Dickson | 794 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,782 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 22: Firrhill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Gerturde Batton (Incumbent) | 1,002 |
| | Conservative | T. Fontaine | 863 |
| | SNP | C. D. Bisset | 529 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 139 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 23: Slighthill :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | F. Milligan (Incumbent) | 1,293 |
| | SNP | P. A. McGill | 1,066 |
| | Conservative | J. D. Train | 781 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 227 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 24: Stenhouse :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | D. F. Renton (Incumbent) | 1,619 |
| | SNP | K. Mackintosh | 1,271 |
| | Conservative | J. D. N. Iriving | 719 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 348 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 25: Slateford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Alves (Incumbent) | 1,024 |
| | SNP | A. Westwood | 700 |
| | Labour | J. J. F. Henderson | 510 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 324 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 26: Hailes :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | SNP | N. R. MacCallum | 1,696 | |
| | Labour | J. H. McKay | 1,342 | |
| | Conservative | D. A. Robertson | 673 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 354 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | SNP gain from Labour | SNP gain from Labour | SNP gain from Labour | SNP gain from Labour |
Ward 27: Pilton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | SNP | J. B. Carson | 793 | |
| | Labour | R. G. D. Dalgleish | 788 | |
| | Liberal | W. H. Bailey | 154 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | SNP gain from Labour | SNP gain from Labour | SNP gain from Labour | SNP gain from Labour |
Ward 28: Muirhouse :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Eleanor T. McLaughlin (Incumbent) | 1,029 |
| | SNP | H. C. Kidd | 836 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 193 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 29: Craigsbank :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | J. G. R. Crombie (Incumbent) | 1,513 |
| | Liberal | T. M. Frew | 673 |
| | Labour | J. A. Anderson | 132 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 840 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 30: Carrickknowe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | I. G.. Anderson | 1,150 | |
| | Liberal | Joyce Shein (Incumbent) | 1,079 | |
| | SNP | J.W. Donaldson | 662 | |
| | Labour | W. Coupar | 466 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 71 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal |
Ward 31: Corstorphine :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | A. J. MacLernan (Incumbent) | 1,441 |
| | Liberal | D. C. E. Gorrie | 1,010 |
| | Labour | A. Howden | 200 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 431 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 32: Drumbrae :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | SNP | N. M. Irons | 1,441 | |
| | Conservative | I. G. Mitchell | 824 | |
| | Labour | G. A. Munro | 751 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 407 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | SNP gain from Labour | SNP gain from Labour | SNP gain from Labour | SNP gain from Labour |
Ward 33: Murrayfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Rosemary Macarthur | 2,298 |
| | Liberal | Veronica J. Crerar | 1,010 |
| | Labour | W. D. Wood | 409 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,868 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
Ward 34: Blackhall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | R. M. Knox (Incumbent) | 1,953 |
| | Labour | A. Foggie | 177 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,776 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |