# Orkney and Shetland

North Scotland. About 44,800 people (mid-2024 estimate) in 2,484 square kilometres.

Mr Alistair Carmichael has been the Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland since July 2024. They won by 7,807 votes on a 60.4% turnout.

Constituency. Code S14000051. In: [Scotland](https://openindex.co.uk/scotland)

## MP and the 2024 result

Mr Alistair Carmichael has been the Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland since July 2024.
They won by 7,807 votes on a 60.4% turnout.

MP: [Mr Alistair Carmichael](https://members.parliament.uk/member/1442) (Liberal Democrat).

### General election, 4 July 2024: Orkney and Shetland

| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Alistair Carmichael (elected) | Liberal Democrat | 11,392 | 55.1% |
| Robert Leslie | Scottish National Party | 3,585 | 17.3% |
| Alex Armitage | Scottish Green Party | 2,046 | 9.9% |
| Robert Smith | Reform UK | 1,586 | 7.7% |
| Conor Savage | Labour | 1,493 | 7.2% |
| Shane Painter | Conservative | 586 | 2.8% |

Electorate 34,236. Turnout 60.4%. Majority 7,807 (37.7%). Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0. Source: House of Commons Library, UK Parliament election results. https://electionresults.parliament.uk/elections/3692

MP as of 18 October 2026. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0. Source: UK Parliament, Members API.

## Key figures

- **Majority, 2024 general election: 37.7%** (July 2024). The winner in Orkney and Shetland had a majority of 37.7% of valid votes at the general election on 4 July 2024 (House of Commons Library). 37th largest majority of 650. Source: UK Parliament election results, July 2024. Published 4 July 2024. https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/orkney-and-shetland#f-ge2024-majority
- **Turnout, 2024 general election: 60.4%** (July 2024). Turnout in Orkney and Shetland at the general election on 4 July 2024 was 60.4% (House of Commons Library). Joint 312th highest turnout of 650. Source: UK Parliament election results, July 2024. Published 4 July 2024. https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/orkney-and-shetland#f-ge2024-turnout
- **Population: 44,962** (2021). Orkney and Shetland had 44,962 usual residents at the census (Scotland's Census 2022). 2nd least populated of 650. Source: Census 2021, England and Wales and Scotland's Census 2022 and Census 2021, Northern Ireland, 2021. Published 21 July 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/orkney-and-shetland#f-population
- **People in radon Affected Area squares: 69%** (2022). About 69% of people in Orkney and Shetland live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area. UK 44%. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UKHSA and BGS radon atlas and census output areas. Published 1 December 2022. https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/orkney-and-shetland#f-radon-affected-share

## On the map

- [Radon Affected Area by constituency](https://openindex.co.uk/map/radon-affected-areas?place=S14000051) (Worked out by Open Index · 2022): About 69% of people in Orkney and Shetland live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
- [Average house price by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/house-prices?place=S14000051) (UK House Price Index · August 2026): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of Shetland Islands, where most of this constituency lies. The outline is Orkney and Shetland.
- [Crimes by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/scotland-crime-count?place=S14000051) (Recorded crimes and offences in Scotland · 2025/26): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of Shetland Islands, where most of this constituency lies. The outline is Orkney and Shetland.
- [Population by constituency](https://openindex.co.uk/map/population?place=S14000051) (Census 2021, England and Wales): Orkney and Shetland had 44,962 usual residents at the census.

## How Orkney and Shetland compares

Each constituency against every other constituency the measure covers.

| Measure | Orkney and Shetland | Rank | Compared with |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Majority, 2024 general election | 37.7% | 37th largest majority | 650 constituencies, UK · Jul 2024 |
| Turnout, 2024 general election | 60.4% | joint 312th highest turnout | 650 constituencies, UK · Jul 2024 |
| Population | 44,962 | 2nd least populated | 650 constituencies, UK · 2021 |
| People in radon Affected Area squares | 69% | joint 207th most people in radon Affected Areas | 650 constituencies, UK · 2022 |

## What is the population of Orkney and Shetland?

Orkney and Shetland had 44,962 usual residents at the census.
Orkney and Shetland is the 2nd least populated of 650 in the UK.

## Figures for the whole of Shetland Islands

Most of Orkney and Shetland lies in Shetland Islands. These figures are published for the whole of Shetland Islands, not for constituencies, so they describe the council and not Orkney and Shetland itself. [See Shetland Islands](https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands)

- **Average house price: £180,869** (August 2026). Shetland Islands’ average house price was £180,869 in August 2026 (HM Land Registry). Down 11.2% in a year. Source: UK House Price Index, August 2026. Published 21 October 2026.
- **Median full-time pay: £46,527** (2025). Full-time workers living in Shetland Islands earned a median of £46,527 in 2025 (ONS earnings survey). 35th highest paid of 348. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025. Published 23 October 2025.
- **House price to pay: 3.9×** (2025). A home in Shetland Islands costs 3.9 times local full-time pay. Joint 6th most affordable of 348. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UK House Price Index and the ONS earnings survey. Published 21 October 2026.
- **Population estimate: 22,710** (2025). Shetland Islands’ population was an estimated 22,710 in mid-2025 (ONS population estimates). Down 0.4% in a year. Source: Mid-year population estimates, 2025. Published 1 October 2026.

## Orkney and Shetland in brief

The winner in Orkney and Shetland had a majority of 37.7% of valid votes at the general election on 4 July 2024.
Turnout in Orkney and Shetland at the general election on 4 July 2024 was 60.4%.
Orkney and Shetland had 44,962 usual residents at the census.
About 69% of people in Orkney and Shetland live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.

## About

- Type: Constituency
- Code: S14000051
- Council: [Shetland Islands †](https://openindex.co.uk/shetland-islands)
- Nation: [Scotland](https://openindex.co.uk/scotland)
- Area: 2,484 km²
- People, mid-2024: 44,800*
- Wards: 13
- Middle areas: 13
- Neighbourhoods: 63
- Output areas: 377

* People: worked out by Open Index from neighbourhood estimates, shared out by where people lived at the census (by area in Northern Ireland). This area's edges do not follow neighbourhood edges, so the figure is close but not exact.
† Best fit: the council this constituency mostly lies in. Its edges do not follow it.

## Next door

[Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/caithness-sutherland-and-easter-ross)

## Similar places

Constituencies with the closest mix of age and density. [Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/moray-west-nairn-and-strathspey), [Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/inverness-skye-and-west-ross-shire), [Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/dumfriesshire-clydesdale-and-tweeddale), [Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/caithness-sutherland-and-easter-ross), [West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/west-aberdeenshire-and-kincardine), [Perth and Kinross-shire](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/perth-and-kinross-shire).

## Latest updates for Orkney and Shetland

- August 2026 house prices published: HM Land Registry and partners · Oct 2026.
- September 2026 rent published: ONS private rents · Oct 2026.
- Schools updated: Ofsted · Oct 2026.
- GP practices updated: NHS England · Oct 2026.

The same figures as JSON: https://openindex.co.uk/v1/places/S14000051

## How to cite

Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/orkney-and-shetland, or to one figure with its anchor, https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/orkney-and-shetland#f-ge2024-majority.

Open Index's own text and the figures it works out are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source data keeps its publishers' licences, named with each figure. Give each figure's period and source with it.

Snapshot 2026.10.9. The HTML page: https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/orkney-and-shetland