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Orkney and Shetland — UK General Election Results

Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30

Orkney and Shetland was won by Liberal Democrat at the 2024 general election, with a majority of 7,807 votes over SNP. This page covers every general election in Orkney and Shetland from 1832 to 2024.

Full Election History, 1832–2024

Election Elected Votes Vote Share Runner-up Majority Turnout
1832 George Traill (Whig) 107 50.5% Samuel Laing (Conservative) 11 (5.2 pts) 77.9%
1835 Thomas Balfour (Conservative) 114 57.6% George Traill (Whig) 30 (15.2 pts) 66.4%
1837 Frederick Dundas (Whig) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1841 Frederick Dundas (Whig) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1847 Arthur Anderson (Whig) 209 53.3% Frederick Dundas (Whig) 26 (6.6 pts) 65.4%
1852 Frederick Dundas (Whig) 227 53.9% John Inglis (Conservative) 33 (7.8 pts) 64.7%
1857 Frederick Dundas (Whig) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1859 Frederick Dundas (Liberal) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1865 Frederick Dundas (Liberal) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1868 Frederick Dundas (Liberal) 715 61.6% Henry Philip Archibald Buchanan-Riddell (Conservative) 269 (23.2 pts) 78.1%
1874 Samuel Laing (Liberal) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1880 Samuel Laing (Liberal) 896 60.8% George Roy Badenoch (Conservative) 318 (21.6 pts) 86.5%
1885 Leonard Lyell (Liberal) 3,352 63.3% Cospatrick Thomas Dundas (Conservative) 1,412 (26.7 pts) 71.6%
1886 Leonard Lyell (Liberal) 2,353 63.0% Henry Hoare (Liberal Unionist) 971 (26.0 pts) 50.5%
1892 Leonard Lyell (Liberal) 2,624 61.9% William Younger (Liberal Unionist) 1,007 (23.7 pts) 59.9%
1895 Leonard Lyell (Liberal) 2,361 59.9% Ralph Wardlaw MacLeod Fullarton (Liberal Unionist) 781 (19.8 pts) 55.9%
1900 John Cathcart Wason (Liberal Unionist) 2,057 50.5% Leonard Lyell (Liberal) 40 (1.0 pts) 54.9%
1906 John Cathcart Wason (Liberal) 3,837 79.0% Colin John Dunlop (Conservative) 2,816 (58.0 pts) 63.3%
Jan 1910 John Cathcart Wason (Liberal) 4,117 80.6% Thomas William Hemsley (Liberal Unionist) 3,123 (61.1 pts) 71.8%
Dec 1910 John Cathcart Wason (Liberal) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1918 John Cathcart Wason (Liberal) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1922 Robert William Hamilton (Liberal) 4,814 53.5% Malcolm Smith (National Liberal) 625 (6.9 pts) 37.4%
1923 Robert William Hamilton (Liberal) 5,129 54.3% Robert John Graham Boothby (Unionist) 811 (8.6 pts) 39.1%
1924 Robert William Hamilton (Liberal) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1929 Robert William Hamilton (Liberal) 8,256 60.4% Basil Hamilton Hebden Neven-Spence (Unionist) 2,852 (20.9 pts) 43.1%
1931 Robert William Hamilton (Liberal) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1935 Basil Hamilton Hebden Neven-Spence (Unionist) 8,406 57.6% Robert William Hamilton (Liberal) 2,226 (15.3 pts) 46.3%
1945 Basil Hamilton Hebden Neven-Spence (Unionist) 6,304 36.0% Jolyon Grimond (Liberal) 329 (1.9 pts) 55.5%
1950 Joseph Grimond (Liberal) 9,237 49.0% Basil Hamilton Hebden Neven-Spence (Unionist) 2,956 (15.7 pts) 67.7%
1951 Joseph Grimond (Liberal) 11,745 57.5% Archibald Tennant (Unionist) 6,391 (31.3 pts) 69.0%
1955 Joseph Grimond (Liberal) 11,753 63.8% John Eunson (Unionist) 7,993 (43.4 pts) 66.1%
1959 Joseph Grimond (Liberal) 12,099 64.1% Robert Hunter Wingate Bruce (Unionist) 8,612 (45.7 pts) 71.3%
1964 Joseph Grimond (Liberal) 11,604 62.6% Dr John L Firth (Unionist) 7,900 (42.6 pts) 72.8%
1966 Joseph Grimond (Liberal) 9,605 59.1% Dr John Firth (Conservative) 5,975 (36.8 pts) 65.2%
1970 Joseph Grimond (Liberal) 7,896 47.0% Dr John Firth (Conservative) 2,532 (15.1 pts) 68.0%
Feb 1974 Joseph Grimond (Liberal) 11,491 62.0% Dr John Firth (Conservative) 7,305 (39.4 pts) 71.1%
Oct 1974 Joseph Grimond (Liberal) 9,877 56.2% Howard Firth (SNP) 6,852 (39.0 pts) 66.8%
1979 Joseph Grimond (Liberal) 10,950 56.4% Charles Donaldson (Conservative) 6,810 (35.1 pts) 67.2%
1983 Jim Wallace (Liberal) 9,374 45.9% David Myles (Conservative) 4,150 (20.3 pts) 67.8%
1987 Jim Wallace (Liberal) 8,881 41.7% Richard Jenkins (Conservative) 3,922 (18.4 pts) 68.7%
1992 Jim Wallace (Liberal Democrat) 9,575 46.4% Dr Paul McCormick (Conservative) 5,033 (24.4 pts) 65.5%
1997 Jim Wallace (Liberal Democrat) 10,743 52.0% James Paton (Labour) 6,968 (33.7 pts) 64.0%
2001 Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat) 6,919 41.3% Robert Mochrie (Labour) 3,475 (20.8 pts) 52.4%
2005 Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat) 9,138 51.5% Richard Meade (Labour) 6,627 (37.4 pts) 53.7%
2010 Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat) 11,989 62.0% Mark Cooper (Labour) 9,928 (51.3 pts) 58.7%
2015 Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat) 9,407 41.4% Danus Skene (SNP) 817 (3.6 pts) 66.0%
2017 Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat) 11,312 48.6% Miriam Brett (SNP) 4,563 (19.6 pts) 68.3%
2019 Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat) 10,381 44.8% Robert Leslie (SNP) 2,507 (10.8 pts) 67.9%
2024 Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat) 11,392 55.1% Robert Leslie (SNP) 7,807 (37.7 pts) 60.7%

Full Result Breakdown by Election

1832

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
George Traill Whig 10750.5% Yes
Samuel Laing Conservative 9645.3% No
R Hunter Whig 94.2% No

1835

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Balfour Conservative 11457.6% Yes
George Traill Whig 8442.4% No

1837

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Frederick Dundas Whig Unopposed Yes

1841

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Frederick Dundas Whig Unopposed Yes

1847

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Arthur Anderson Whig 20953.3% Yes
Frederick Dundas Whig 18346.7% No

1852

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Frederick Dundas Whig 22753.9% Yes
John Inglis Conservative 19446.1% No

1857

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Frederick Dundas Whig Unopposed Yes

1859

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Frederick Dundas Liberal Unopposed Yes

1865

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Frederick Dundas Liberal Unopposed Yes

1868

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Frederick Dundas Liberal 71561.6% Yes
Henry Philip Archibald Buchanan-Riddell Conservative 44638.4% No

1874

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Samuel Laing Liberal Unopposed Yes

1880

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Samuel Laing Liberal 89660.8% Yes
George Roy Badenoch Conservative 57839.2% No

1885

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Leonard Lyell Liberal 3,35263.3% Yes
Cospatrick Thomas Dundas Conservative 1,94036.7% No

1886

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Leonard Lyell Liberal 2,35363.0% Yes
Henry Hoare Liberal Unionist 1,38237.0% No

1892

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Leonard Lyell Liberal 2,62461.9% Yes
William Younger Liberal Unionist 1,61738.1% No

1895

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Leonard Lyell Liberal 2,36159.9% Yes
Ralph Wardlaw MacLeod Fullarton Liberal Unionist 1,58040.1% No

1900

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Cathcart Wason Liberal Unionist 2,05750.5% Yes
Leonard Lyell Liberal 2,01749.5% No

1906

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Cathcart Wason Liberal 3,83779.0% Yes
Colin John Dunlop Conservative 1,02121.0% No

Jan 1910

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Cathcart Wason Liberal 4,11780.6% Yes
Thomas William Hemsley Liberal Unionist 99419.4% No

Dec 1910

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Cathcart Wason Liberal Unopposed Yes

1918

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Cathcart Wason Liberal Unopposed Yes

1922

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robert William Hamilton Liberal 4,81453.5% Yes
Malcolm Smith National Liberal 4,18946.5% No

1923

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robert William Hamilton Liberal 5,12954.3% Yes
Robert John Graham Boothby Unionist 4,31845.7% No

1924

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robert William Hamilton Liberal Unopposed Yes

1929

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robert William Hamilton Liberal 8,25660.4% Yes
Basil Hamilton Hebden Neven-Spence Unionist 5,40439.6% No

1931

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robert William Hamilton Liberal Unopposed Yes

1935

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Basil Hamilton Hebden Neven-Spence Unionist 8,40657.6% Yes
Robert William Hamilton Liberal 6,18042.4% No

1945

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Basil Hamilton Hebden Neven-Spence Unionist 6,30436.0% Yes
Jolyon Grimond Liberal 5,97534.2% No
Prophet James Lawrence Smith Labour 5,20829.8% No

1950

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Joseph Grimond Liberal 9,23749.0% Yes
Basil Hamilton Hebden Neven-Spence Unionist 6,28133.3% No
Harald Leslie Labour 4,19822.3% No

1951

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Joseph Grimond Liberal 11,74557.5% Yes
Archibald Tennant Unionist 5,35426.2% No
Magnus Fairnie Labour 3,33516.3% No

1955

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Joseph Grimond Liberal 11,75363.8% Yes
John Eunson Unionist 3,76020.4% No
Edgar Ramsay Labour 2,91415.8% No

1959

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Joseph Grimond Liberal 12,09964.1% Yes
Robert Hunter Wingate Bruce Unionist 3,48718.5% No
Robert S McGowan Labour 3,25717.3% No

1964

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Joseph Grimond Liberal 11,60462.6% Yes
Dr John L Firth Unionist 3,70420.0% No
Ian MacInnes Labour 3,23217.4% No

1966

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Joseph Grimond Liberal 9,60559.1% Yes
Dr John Firth Conservative 3,63022.3% No
Hugh Lynch Labour 3,02118.6% No

1970

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Joseph Grimond Liberal 7,89647.0% Yes
Dr John Firth Conservative 5,36431.9% No
William Reid Labour 3,55221.1% No

Feb 1974

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Joseph Grimond Liberal 11,49162.0% Yes
Dr John Firth Conservative 4,18622.6% No
Jonathan Wills Labour 2,86515.5% No

Oct 1974

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Joseph Grimond Liberal 9,87756.2% Yes
Howard Firth SNP 3,02517.2% No
Raymond M Fraser Conservative 2,49514.2% No
Jonathan WG Wills Labour 2,17512.4% No

1979

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Joseph Grimond Liberal 10,95056.4% Yes
Charles Donaldson Conservative 4,14021.3% No
Robina Goodlad Labour 3,38517.4% No
Michael Spens SNP 9354.8% No

1983

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Jim Wallace Liberal 9,37445.9% Yes
David Myles Conservative 5,22425.6% No
Winifred Ewing SNP 3,14715.4% No
Robina Goodlad Labour 2,66513.1% No

1987

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Jim Wallace Liberal 8,88141.7% Yes
Richard Jenkins Conservative 4,95923.3% No
John Aberdein Labour 3,99518.7% No
John Goodlad Orkney and Shetland Movement 3,09514.5% No
Grierson Collister Green 3891.8% No

1992

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Jim Wallace Liberal Democrat 9,57546.4% Yes
Dr Paul McCormick Conservative 4,54222.0% No
John Aberdein Labour 4,09319.8% No
Frances McKie SNP 2,30111.2% No
Christian Wharton Natural Law 1150.6% No

1997

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Jim Wallace Liberal Democrat 10,74352.0% Yes
James Paton Labour 3,77518.3% No
Willie Ross SNP 2,62412.7% No
Hope Anderson Conservative 2,52712.2% No
Francis Adamson Referendum Party 8204.0% No
Christian Wharton Natural Law 1160.6% No
Arthur Robertson Independent 600.3% No

2001

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Alistair Carmichael Liberal Democrat 6,91941.3% Yes
Robert Mochrie Labour 3,44420.6% No
John Firth Conservative 3,12118.7% No
John Mowat SNP 2,47314.8% No
Peter Andrews Scottish Socialist 7764.6% No

2005

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Alistair Carmichael Liberal Democrat 9,13851.5% Yes
Richard Meade Labour 2,51114.2% No
Frank Nairn Conservative 2,35713.3% No
John Mowat SNP 1,83310.3% No
John Aberdein Scottish Socialist 9925.6% No
Scott Dyble UKIP 4242.4% No
Paul Cruickshank Legalise Cannabis 3111.8% No
Brian Nugent Free Scotland 1761.0% No

2010

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Alistair Carmichael Liberal Democrat 11,98962.0% Yes
Mark Cooper Labour 2,06110.7% No
John Mowat SNP 2,04210.6% No
Frank Spencer Nairn Conservative 2,03210.5% No
Robert Smith UKIP 1,2226.3% No

2015

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Alistair Carmichael Liberal Democrat 9,40741.4% Yes
Danus Skene SNP 8,59037.8% No
Donald Cameron Conservative 2,0258.9% No
Gerry McGarvey Labour 1,6247.1% No
Robert Smith UKIP 1,0824.8% No

2017

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Alistair Carmichael Liberal Democrat 11,31248.6% Yes
Miriam Brett SNP 6,74929.0% No
Robina Barton Labour 2,66411.4% No
Jamie Halcro Johnston Conservative 2,0248.7% No
Robert Smith UKIP 2831.2% No
Stuart Hill Independent 2451.1% No

2019

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Alistair Carmichael Liberal Democrat 10,38144.8% Yes
Robert Leslie SNP 7,87434.0% No
Jennifer Fairbairn Conservative 2,2879.9% No
Coilla Drake Labour 1,5506.7% No
Robert Smith Brexit Party 9003.9% No
David Barnard Independent 1680.7% No

2024

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Alistair Carmichael Liberal Democrat 11,39255.1% Yes
Robert Leslie SNP 3,58517.3% No
Alex Armitage Green 2,0469.9% No
Robert Smith Reform UK 1,5867.7% No
Conor Savage Labour 1,4937.2% No
Shane Painter Conservative 5862.8% No

Margin Over Time

Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.

1832: Whig margin 5.2 pts 1835: Conservative margin 15.2 pts 1847: Whig margin 6.6 pts 1852: Whig margin 7.8 pts 1868: Liberal margin 23.2 pts 1880: Liberal margin 21.6 pts 1885: Liberal margin 26.7 pts 1886: Liberal margin 26.0 pts 1892: Liberal margin 23.7 pts 1895: Liberal margin 19.8 pts 1900: Liberal Unionist margin 1.0 pts 1906: Liberal margin 58.0 pts Jan 1910: Liberal margin 61.1 pts 1922: Liberal margin 6.9 pts 1923: Liberal margin 8.6 pts 1929: Liberal margin 20.9 pts 1935: Unionist margin 15.3 pts 1945: Unionist margin 1.9 pts 1950: Liberal margin 15.7 pts 1951: Liberal margin 31.3 pts 1955: Liberal margin 43.4 pts 1959: Liberal margin 45.7 pts 1964: Liberal margin 42.6 pts 1966: Liberal margin 36.8 pts 1970: Liberal margin 15.1 pts Feb 1974: Liberal margin 39.4 pts Oct 1974: Liberal margin 39.0 pts 1979: Liberal margin 35.1 pts 1983: Liberal margin 20.3 pts 1987: Liberal margin 18.4 pts 1992: Liberal Democrat margin 24.4 pts 1997: Liberal Democrat margin 33.7 pts 2001: Liberal Democrat margin 20.8 pts 2005: Liberal Democrat margin 37.4 pts 2010: Liberal Democrat margin 51.3 pts 2015: Liberal Democrat margin 3.6 pts 2017: Liberal Democrat margin 19.6 pts 2019: Liberal Democrat margin 10.8 pts 2024: Liberal Democrat margin 37.7 pts 1832 1835 1847 1852 1868 1880 1885 1886 1892 1895 1900 1906 Jan 1910 1922 1923 1929 1935 1945 1950 1951 1955 1959 1964 1966 1970 Feb 1974 Oct 1974 1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 2015 2017 2019 2024

Trend

Orkney and Shetland has been contested at 49 general elections on record since 1832. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Whig, Conservative, Liberal, Liberal Unionist, Unionist, Liberal Democrat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won Orkney and Shetland in the 2024 general election?

Liberal Democrat won Orkney and Shetland in 2024 with 11,392 votes (55.1%), a majority of 7,807 votes over SNP in second place.

Which parties have won Orkney and Shetland since 1832?

Since 1832, Orkney and Shetland has been won by: Conservative, Liberal, Liberal Democrat, Liberal Unionist, Unionist, Whig.

What was the closest result in Orkney and Shetland?

The closest result on record for Orkney and Shetland was 1900, when Liberal Unionist beat Liberal by just 40 votes (1.0 percentage points).

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