1978 Western Isles Islands Council election

The second election to Western Isles Islands Council was held on 8 May 1978 as part of the wider 1978 Scottish regional elections. All candidates stood as Independents, and 23 candidates were elected unopposed.

1978 Western Isles Islands Council election

8 May 1978 (1978-05-08)
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 Last election 30 seats, 100.0% Seats won 30 Seat change 0 Popular vote 2,590 Percentage 100.0% Swing 0.0
Council control before election Donald Macauley Independent Council control after election Donald Macauley Independent

In a rematch of the council vote in 1974, incumbent convener Donald Macaulay defeated a challenge from former Stornoway Provost Sandy Matheson and was re-elected to a second term in office.

Aggregate results

Western Isles Council election, 1978

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Independent	30	0	0	0	100.00	100.00	2,590	0.0

Ward results

Port of Ness

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Angus Morrison	237	54.0%
	Independent	Donald Morrison (Incumbent)	200	45.6%
Majority			37	8.4%
	Independent hold

Dell

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Kathleen MacAskill (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Barvas

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	W. MacLeod	237	72.7%
	Independent	John Paterson (Incumbent)	89	27.3%
Majority			148	45.4%
	Independent hold

Shawbost

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Malcolm MacLeod (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Carloway

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Jack MacArthur (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Uig West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Donald MacAulay (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Gress

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	K.A. MacIver (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Coll

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Murdo MacDonald (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Laxdale

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Donald MacLeod (Incumbent)	176	58.9%
	Independent	A.A. MacLeod	122	40.8%
Majority			54	18.1%
	Independent hold

Coulregrein

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Kenneth MacDonald (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Manor Park

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	James MacRae (Incumbent)	305	87.9%
	Independent	T.A. Woodcock	42	12.1%
Majority			263	75.8%
	Independent hold

Bayhead

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Alasdair Rae MacKenzie (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Goathill

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	M.A. Macmillan	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Newton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Sandy Matheson (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Sandwick

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	William MacDonald (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Aignish

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	John Crichton (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Tiumpan

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Donald MacKay (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

North Lochs

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	M.D. MacLeod	263	52.8%
	Independent	Donald Martin (Incumbent)	233	46.8%
Majority			30	6.0%
	Independent hold

Kinloch

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Ian MacLennan (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Pairc

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	D.M. MacKay	113	46.5%
	Independent	A. Kennedy	90	37.0%
	Independent	A. MacLeod	40	16.5%
Majority			23	9.5%
	Independent hold

Tarbert

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Donald MacKinnon (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Bays

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	D. MacDonald (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Obbe

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Wilfred Leonard (Incumbent)	246	55.5%
	Independent	G. MacLeod	197	44.5%
Majority			49	11.0%
	Independent hold

Paible

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Roderick MacLeod (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Lochmaddy

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	James Robertson (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Benbecula

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Calum MacLellan (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Iochdar

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Dugald Morrison (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Lochboisdale

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Roderick MacKinnon (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Northbay

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Reginald Allan (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

Castlebay

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Hugh Morrison (Incumbent)	unopposed	unopposed
Majority			unopposed	unopposed
	Independent hold

By-elections

A by-election was held in Carloway in March 1979 following the resignation of Rev Jack MacArthur, convener of the council's Education Committee, who had moved to Skye to work as a minister for the Church of Scotland in Broadford.

1978 Carloway by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Malcolm MacArthur	174	59.2%
	Independent	George MacLeod	120	40.8%
Majority			54	18.4%
	Independent hold