# 1978 Orkney Islands Council election

The 1978 Orkney Islands Council election, the second election to Orkney Islands Council, was held on 2 May 1978 as part of the wider 1978 Scottish regional elections. Only independent candidates contested the election and ten seats were uncontested.

## Results

1978 Orkney Islands election :
| Party | Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| | Independent | 24 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 4,458 | 0.0 |

## Ward Results

Kirkwall St Magnus :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | J. MacRae (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Kirkwall Weyland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | James Melrose | 170 | 70.2% |
| | Independent | James Hine | 47 | 19.4% |
| | Independent | L. Mowat | 24 | 9.9% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 123 | 50.8% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Broadsands :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Edwin Eunson (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
St Olaf's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | J. Marwick | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Quoybanks :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | A. Stranger | 138 | 63.3% |
| | Independent | E. Rose | 50 | 22.9% |
| | Independent | F. Mearo | 30 | 13.8% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 88 | 40.4% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Papdale :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Allan Taylor | 162 | 87.6% |
| | Independent | Alma Fotheringhame | 22 | 11.9% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 140 | 75.7% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Stromness West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Ronald Miller | 157 | 54.3% |
| | Independent | William Knight (Incumbent) | 132 | 45.7% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 25 | 8.6% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Stromness Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Brenda Robertson (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Stromness North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | John Chalmers (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
St Ola :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | E. Harcus | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Firth & Harray :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Laura Grimond (Incumbent) | 278 | 64.6% |
| | Independent | Frank Tait | 152 | 35.4% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 126 | 29.2% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Stenness & Orphir :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | William Anderson | 202 | 52.2% |
| | Independent | Susan Flint | 184 | 47.5% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18 | 4.7% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Sandwick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | J.R.T. Robertson | 151 | 58.5% |
| | Independent | W. Firth (Incumbent) | 107 | 41.5% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 44 | 17.0% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
St Andrews & Deerness :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Jackie Tait (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Birsay :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | John Brown | 179 | 52.8% |
| | Independent | George Marwick (Incumbent) | 160 | 47.2% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19 | 4.6% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Evie & Rendall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | George Stevenson (Incumbent) | 153 | 54.4% |
| | Independent | William Brough | 78 | 27.8% |
| | Independent | Alastair Marwick | 49 | 17.4% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 75 | 25.6% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Holm :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Alastair Scholes (Incumbent) | 196 | 80.3% |
| | Independent | R. Robertson | 48 | 19.7% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 148 | 60.6% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
South Ronaldsay & Burray :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Alex Annal (Incumbent) | 311 | 52.6% |
| | Independent | Marcus Wood | 279 | 47.2% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 32 | 5.4% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Hoy :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Ewen Traill (Incumbent) | 166 | 43.9% |
| | Independent | John Groat | 107 | 28.3% |
| | Independent | William Sutherland | 104 | 27.5% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 59 | 15.6% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
North Ronaldsay & Sanday :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | J. Powrie (Incumbent) | 221 | 65.6% |
| | Independent | T. Tulloch | 113 | 33.5% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 108 | 32.1% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Westray & Papa Westray :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | J. Scott (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Stronsay & Eday :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | G. Groat (Incumbent) | 160 | 55.0% |
| | Independent | Ethel Popplewell | 128 | 44.0% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 32 | 11.0% |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Rousay :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | N. Firth (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |
Shapinsay :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | C. Zawadski (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold | Independent hold |