1974 Western Isles Islands Council election

1974 Western Isles Islands Council election

7 May 1974 (1974-05-07)
All 30 seats to Western Isles Council 16 seats needed for a majority
First party   Leader Donald Macauley Party Independent Leader's seat Uig West Seats won 30 Popular vote 6,430 Percentage 100.0%
Council Convener after election Donald Macauley Independent

The first election to the Western Isles Islands Council was held on 7 May 1974 as part of the wider 1974 Scottish regional elections. All candidates stood as Independents, and 16 candidates were elected unopposed.

Several members of political parties ran as independent candidates. This included Roderick MacLeod in Shawbost, who had contested the Western Isles constituency for the Conservatives in 1970, and Mary McCormack, election agent for Labour candidate Andrew Wilson in February 1974, both of whom were unsuccessful.

After the election, Reverend Donald Macaulay and Stornoway Provost Sandy Matheson were tied in a 15-15 vote among councillors to become the council's first convener. Macaulay was elected upon the drawing of a lot.

Aggregate results

Western Isles Council election, 1974

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Independent	30				100.00	100.00	6,430

Ward results

Stornoway Newton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Sandy Matheson	369	71.9%
	Independent	Alasdair MacLeod	144	28.1%
Majority			225	43.8%
	Independent hold

Stornoway Goathill

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Albert Nicoll	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Stornoway Bayhead

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Alasdair Rae MacKenzie	341	73.2%
	Independent	Marie MacMillan	125	26.8%
Majority			216	46.4%
	Independent hold

Stornoway Manor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	James Macrae	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Aignish

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	John Crichton	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Tiumpan

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Donald Mackay	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Gress

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Peter MacLeod	310	59.3%
	Independent	George Mackay	213	40.7%
Majority			97	18.6%
	Independent hold

Coll

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Kenneth MacDonald	284	52.1%
	Independent	James MacLennan	261	47.9%
Majority			23	4.2%
	Independent hold

Port of Ness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Donald Morrison	277	60.0%
	Independent	Roderick Morrison	185	40.0%
Majority			92	20.0%
	Independent hold

Dell

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Kathleen MacAskill	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Barvas

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	John Paterson	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Shawbost

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Malcolm MacLeod	238	41.0%
	Independent	Roderick MacLeod	147	25.3%
	Independent	William MacLeod	145	25.0%
	Independent	Angus MacLeod	51	8.8%
Majority			91	15.7%
	Independent hold

Laxdale

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Donald MacLeod	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Coulregrein

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Kenneth MacDonald	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Sandwick

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	William MacDonald	228	57.9%
	Independent	Mary McCormack	166	42.1%
Majority			92	15.8%
	Independent hold

Uig East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Jack Macarthur	371	81.4%
	Independent	Norman Maciver	49	10.7%
	Independent	Malcolm Macarthur	36	7.9%
Majority			332	70.7%
	Independent hold

Uig West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Donald Macaulay	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

North Lochs

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Donald Martin	282	53.5%
	Independent	Angus MacLeod	217	43.5%
Majority			65	10.0%
	Independent hold

Kinloch

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Ian Maclennan	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Lochs Park

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Malcolm Macinnes	189	77.7%
	Independent	Joyce MacKay	54	22.2%
Majority			135	55.5%
	Independent hold

Harris North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Donald Mackinnon	318	72.8%
	Independent	John Halford-MacLeod	119	27.2%
Majority			119	45.6%
	Independent hold

Harris Middle

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Andrew Mundy	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Harris South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Wilfred Leonard	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

North Uist North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Roderick MacLeod	338	73.6%
	Independent	Montague Ford	121	26.4%
Majority			217	47.2%
	Independent hold

North Uist South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	James Robertson	193	50.8%
	Independent	John Macdonald	156	41.1%
	Independent	James Macarthur	31	8.2%
Majority			37	9.7%
	Independent hold

Benbecula

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Calum Maclennan	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

South Uist

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Dugald Morrison	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Lochboisdale

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Roderick Mackinnon	272	57.6%
	Independent	John Macinnes	200	42.4%
Majority			72	15.2%
	Independent hold

Barra North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Reginald Allan	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Barra South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Hugh Morrison	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold