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Councillors and Meetings

Our Councillors were elected on 5 May 2022.  There are six multi-member wards in the Orkney Islands Council area, with three or four Councillors representing the people in each.  Each Councillor has the job of representing the people of the ward they are elected to serve.  The Council is made up of 19 independent councillors, and two who are members of the Scottish Green Party.

Decision making

The Councillors sit on six main committees. Each committee makes recommendations connected to a particular area of the council’s work, such as education or transport. A cycle of meetings involving each of the committees takes place five times a year. Once a cycle has been completed, a meeting of the full council is held. All 21 Councillors take part – and make final decisions on the recommendations made by the committees.  

The committees and the full Council meet in public. Meetings can be watched in comfort from the public gallery at the rear of the Council chamber. A sound system ensures debates are heard loud and clear, with special equipment on offer for people with impaired hearing and also broadcast live online.

Orkney Council WardsFind your Councillor

Use the map to find your area, and then visit our Councillors page to find their details.  

  • East Mainland icon East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray
  • Kirkwall East icon. Kirkwall East
  • Kirkwall West and Orphir icon. Kirkwall West and Orphir
  • North Isles icon. North Isles
  • Stromness and South Isles icon. Stromness and South Isles
  • West Mainland icon. West Mainland

Kirkwall residents will note that the town is split into two wards - Kirkwall East and Kirkwall West and Orphir. If you're not sure which ward your address comes under, view the Kirkwall Wards Street List available from the 'Related Downloads' section of this page.

The Orkney ward maps are provided by the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland.