The elections to the Scottish Parliament were held on Thursday 6th of May 2021. The counting of votes took place the following day, Friday at the Pickaquoy Centre, Kirkwall.

Turnout was 65.5 % (62% in 2016) Postal vote turnout was 87%

The votes cast for each candidate in the First Past The Post Constituency vote were:

Liam McArthur Lib Dem 7238 votes (62.4%) down 5.4%

Robert Leslie SNP 3369 votes (29.1%) up 5.2%

Samuel Bown Conservative 699 votes (6%) up 1.9%

Coilla Drake Labour 290 votes (2.5%) down 0.4

Liam McArthur has retained the Orkney Constituency seat for the LibDems.

For the Highlands and Islands Regional List the votes cast in Orkney were:

SCOTTISH LIBERAL DEMOCRATS 3,616

SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY (SNP) 3,384

SCOTTISH CONSERVATIVE AND UNIONIST PARTY 2,202

SCOTTISH GREEN PARTY 1,104

SCOTTISH LABOUR PARTY 725

SCOTTISH FAMILY PARTY 127

ALBA PARTY 98

WIGHTMAN, Andy 87

ALL FOR UNITY 63

SCOTTISH LIBERTARIAN PARTY 32

REFORM UK 31

UK INDEPENDENCE PARTY (UKIP) 30

ABOLISH THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT PARTY 28

FREEDOM ALLIANCE 22

RESTORE SCOTLAND 18

SCOTTISH TRADE UNIONIST AND SOCIALIST COALITION 15

MANSFIELD, Hazel 4

Turnout: 65.5%

There is quite a difference between the constituency vote and the regional vote. In the Orkney constituency many Conservative and Labour supporters vote for the Liberal Democrats. Some Scottish Greens also vote Liberal Democrat in the constituency. The SNP vote is more consistent between the two ballots.

It could be safe to say that Orkney is still voting along the same lines as it did in the 2014 Scottish Referendum for Independence : that result was No: 67.2% Yes: 32%

The Regional votes cast in Orkney are added to those in the rest of the Highlands and Islands. From that ballot additional MSPs will be elected.

Click on this link for an excellent site for election results : Ballot Box Scotland