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1977 Sutherland District Council election

← 1974 3 May 1977 (1977-05-03) 1980 →
All 14 seats to Sutherland District Council 8 seats needed for a majority
Registered	10,352
Turnout	64.0%
First party   Ind Party Independent Last election 12 seats, 100.0% Seats won 14 Seat change 1 Popular vote 2,989 Percentage 100.0% Swing
Council Control before election Independent Council Control after election Independent

Elections to Sutherland District Council were held on 3 May 1977, on the same day as the other Scottish local government elections. This was the second election to the district council following the local government reforms in 1974.

The election used the original 12 wards created by the Formation Electoral Arrangements in 1974 and two wards added to the district council due to boundary alterations between Sutherland and Caithness District Councils. Each ward elected one councillor using first-past-the-post voting.

As with other elections in the Highland region, no candidates were affiliated with any political parties and the 14 councillors elected were all independents. In total, nine of the 14 wards were uncontested.

Background

Prior to the election, alterations were made to the area controlled by Sutherland and Caithness District Councils. An area in the west of Caithness including Tongue, Farr and Strathy was transferred to Sutherland. Before reorganisation in 1974, the area had been part of Sutherland County. As a result, the Tongue and Farr ward was transferred from Caithness and a new Strathy ward was created.

Results

1977 Sutherland District Council election result

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Independent	14	8	7	1	100.0	100.0	2,989

Source:

Ward results

Dornoch Burgh

Source:

Dornoch East and West

Source:

Creich East and West

Source:

Kincardine

Source:

Rogart and Golspie Rural

Source:

Golspie Village

Golspie Village

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	D. I. MacRae	391	60.9	4.4
	Independent	K. F. MacLean	251	39.1	New
Majority			140	21.8	25.3
Turnout			642	66.5	10.3
Registered electors			965
	Independent hold		Swing	4.4

Source:

Lairg

Lairg

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	W. G. Johnston	266	62.9	2.6
	Independent	N. G. MacDonald	157	37.1	2.6
Majority			109	25.8	5.2
Turnout			423	59.5	12.0
Registered electors			714
	Independent hold		Swing	2.6

Source:

Assynt and Stoer

Source:

Eddrachillis and Durness

Source:

Clyne

Clyne

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	R. MacLeod	424	70.9	New
	Independent	W. Sutherland	174	29.1	37.8
Majority			250	41.8	N/A
Turnout			598	62.9	7.4
Registered electors			953
	Independent gain from Independent		Swing	54.3

Source:

Loth and Kildonan South

Loth and Kildonan South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	R. R. MacDonald	228	51.8	5.5
	Independent	I. MacKay	212	48.2	New
Majority			16	3.6	11.0
Turnout			440	68.4	2.2
Registered electors			646
	Independent hold		Swing	5.5

Source:

Kildonan North

Source:

Tongue and Farr

Source:

Strathy

Source:

Notes

1. ^ Amendments to the boundary with Caithness District Council resulted in one ward transferring from Caithness to Sutherland and new ward being created. As a result, there were two more seats on Sutherland District Council than the previous election. These seats resulted in an independent win and an independent gain from independent.

References

1. ^ "Formation Electoral Arrangements". Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
2. "Amendment at Tongue and Farr, Caithness District, Sutherland District, LGBCS report no 11, 1977" (PDF). Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
3. ^ Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1977). The Scottish District Elections 1977: Results and Statistics (PDF). Dundee: Election Studies, University of Dundee. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
4. ^ Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1975). The Scottish Local Government Elections 1974: Results and Statistics (PDF). Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press. Retrieved 28 January 2024.

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• 1977 Scottish local elections
• Sutherland District Council elections