Constitutional status of Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles facts for kids

Map of Scotland showing Orkney and Shetland (north-east of the mainland) and the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides (north-west of the mainland)

The Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, and the Western Isles are special island groups that are part of Scotland. People often talk about their political status, especially during big events like the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.

Right now, these islands are like other areas in Scotland, called "council areas." This means they have their own local councils that manage things like schools and roads. What's interesting is that in these three island councils, most of the people elected are "independent" councillors. This means they don't belong to a big political party.

In 2013, the Scottish Government made a promise called the Lerwick Declaration. This promise was about giving more power to these island councils, allowing them to make more decisions for themselves.

History of the Islands

For a long time, starting in the 900s, Orkney and Shetland were part of the Kingdom of Norway. Later, Norway joined with the Kingdom of Denmark.

Then, in 1468, something important happened. The Norwegian king, Christian I, needed to pay a "dowry" (a gift of money or property) for his daughter Margaret, who was going to marry James III of Scotland. So, he used Orkney as a guarantee for the payment. The next year, he did the same with Shetland. Scotland was supposed to give the islands back once the dowry was paid, but they never did. This is how Orkney and Shetland became part of Scotland.

After 1707, when Scotland and England joined to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, Orkney, Shetland, and the Western Isles became part of this new kingdom, just like the rest of Scotland.

Special Election Areas

Under election rules, the areas of Orkney and Shetland and Na h-Eileanan an Iar (which means The Western Isles) are called "protected constituencies." This means their election boundaries can't be changed easily. They must stay whole and not be combined with any part of mainland Scotland. Only the Isle of Wight in England has a similar special status.

Island Councils' Ideas

In 2013, the leaders of the three island councils met to talk about their future. They wondered what would happen if Scotland became independent. Could the islands become more independent themselves, either within Scotland or within the rest of the UK?

They thought about becoming "Crown Dependencies," like the Isle of Man, or having "self-government" like the Faroe Islands. However, becoming a Crown Dependency might mean losing important money from the European Union, which helps local farmers.

Alasdair Allan, a politician from the Western Isles, thought that if Scotland became independent, it could be good for the islands. He believed farmers could get more money from a program called the Common Agricultural Policy if Scotland was an independent country in the EU.

The Lerwick Declaration

In July 2013, the Scottish Government made the Lerwick Declaration. This was a promise to give more power to the Orkney, Shetland, and Western Isles councils. In November 2013, the government even said they would give more powers if Scotland became independent. Steven Heddle, a council leader from Orkney, wanted this new law to happen no matter what the independence vote result was.

Later, in 2017, the Scottish Government started working on an "Islands bill." This bill would make sure that public bodies consider the unique needs of islands when making decisions.

Referendums (Public Votes)

A referendum is a public vote where everyone gets to say "yes" or "no" to an important question.

1979 Devolution Referendum

In 1979, there was a vote about "devolution" for Scotland. Devolution means giving more power to Scotland to make its own laws, but still staying part of the UK.

In this vote, Orkney and Shetland had the highest number of people voting "No" against devolution. The Western Isles, however, voted "Yes."

1997 Devolution Referendum

In 1997, there was another vote about devolution. This time, there were two questions:

• Should Scotland have its own Scottish Parliament?
• Should this parliament have the power to raise taxes?

For the first question, all three island areas, like the rest of Scotland, voted "Yes" for a Scottish Parliament.

For the second question (about tax powers), Orkney was one of only two areas in Scotland to vote "No." Shetland voted "Yes," but only just. The Western Isles voted "Yes" much more strongly than the rest of Scotland.

2014 Scottish Independence Referendum

In 2014, Scotland held a vote to decide if it should become an independent country, separate from the United Kingdom. Overall, Scotland voted "No" to independence (55.3%).

All three island groups also voted "No." The Western Isles voted "No" by a smaller amount than the rest of Scotland. Orkney and Shetland voted "No" by a much larger amount than the national average.

Ideas for "Counter-Independence" Votes

Some people on the islands suggested having their own separate votes after the Scottish independence referendum. These votes would ask islanders if they wanted to become an independent country, stay in Scotland, or (if Scotland became independent) stay in the UK.

This idea came from a promise made in 2012. An SNP spokesperson said that if Scotland became independent, Orkney and Shetland could stay in the UK if they really wanted to. Politicians on the islands felt this was a very important time for their political future. They hoped it would lead to the islands getting more power to make decisions that would help their communities.

A report by two politicians, Tavish Scott and Liam McArthur, suggested that Shetland and Orkney could either stay with the UK if Scotland became independent, or even try to become independent themselves.

However, a poll in 2013 showed that only 8% of people in Shetland and Orkney wanted the islands to become completely independent countries. Most people (82%) were against it.

The day before the 2014 Scottish independence vote, Alistair Carmichael, a politician for Orkney and Shetland, said that if Shetland voted strongly against independence but Scotland as a whole voted "Yes," then there might need to be a discussion about Shetland becoming a self-governing "Crown dependency" (like the Isle of Man), separate from an independent Scotland. He said he didn't want this to happen and that voting "No" in the referendum was the best way to avoid it.

Groups Wanting More Self-Rule

The Orkney and Shetland Movement was a group of people in Orkney and Shetland who wanted more independence for their islands. They even ran a candidate in the 1987 election. They looked at places like the Isle of Man and the Faroe Islands (which is a self-governing part of Denmark) as examples. The Scottish National Party didn't run a candidate against them to give them a better chance. Their candidate got 14.5% of the votes, but the movement didn't run in any elections after that.

Another group called Wir Shetland started in 2015. They wanted Shetland to separate from the rest of Scotland and become either a "Crown Dependency" or a "British Overseas Territory." This was their way of trying to get more self-rule for Shetland.

In September 2020, the Shetland Islands Council voted to look into ways for the islands to have more "financial and political self-determination." They felt that relying on Scotland was making it hard for Shetland to be successful and stable.