Constituency

Orkney and Shetland is the United Kingdom’s most northerly parliamentary constituency. Comprising 31 inhabited islands, its main industries have traditionally been agriculture and fishing. In more recent years the oil industry, tourism and aquaculture have also become important parts of the local economy as opportunities have developed to exploit the islands’ great wealth of bird and wildlife, archaeology and breathtakingly beautiful scenery. The islands are also looking to make a major contribution to the development of renewable energy. The links section of this site will take you to a number of local websites where you can learn more about our unique island communities. For the full island experience, however, there is no substitute for visiting in person!

Orkney became part of Scotland in 1468 and Shetland followed in 1469. The islands were given as security against the dowry of Margaret, daughter of King Christian I the First of Denmark who was to be married to James III of Scotland. The dowry was never paid and in 1472 James annexed the earldom of Orkney and the Lordship of Shetland to Scotland.

The Norse influence in the islands remains strong. Land ownership in the isles is still governed to this day by Udal law – the ancient Norse legal system. Local people are proud of their Norse history and links with Nordic countries such as Norway, Denmark and the Faroe Islands remain strong.

For most of the twentieth century the constituency of Orkney and Shetland was represented by Liberal MPs. The Conservatives, however, won the seat in the mid 1930s and held it until it was won back by the Late Jo Grimond in 1950. It has, uniquely, remained in Liberal or Liberal Democrat hands since then.

Jo, who was leader of the Liberal Party from 1956 to 1967, served as the isles’ MP until he stood down in 1983 at which time he was given a peerage and took the title of Lord Grimond of Firth. Jim Wallace was elected as MP for the isles in 1983 and held the seat for the Liberals and later Liberal Democrats at general elections in 1987, 1992 and 1997. The establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 saw the two island groups split into separate constituencies for the first time. Jim Wallace elected as the first MSP for Orkney while in Shetland that honour fell to Tavish Scott. Jim Wallace stood down as the Westminster MP for Orkney and Shetland at the general election in 2001 when the isles’ current MP, Alistair Carmichael was elected.