2019 Reviews of Electoral Arrangements

We submitted our final proposals on councillor numbers and wards for Argyll and Bute, Highland and North Ayrshire Council areas to Scottish Ministers on 10 June 2021, and for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands Council areas on 28 May 2021.

These final proposals arise from the 2019 Review of Electoral Arrangements which began in January 2019.

The Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 required us to review the six councils containing inhabited islands (Argyll and Bute, Highland, North Ayrshire, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands and Na h-Eileanan an Iar) as soon as practicable so that government and the public sector meet the needs of island communities now and in the future.

Details of our proposals are available in the reports below, along with supporting documentation, which provides background to the review.

The Scottish Parliament approved our final proposals for North Ayrshire, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands Council areas and these were used in the May 2022 local government elections.

Our final proposals for Argyll and Bute and The Highland Council areas were not approved by Parliament. By letter dated 18 September 2025, Scottish Ministers directed us to undertake further reviews of the electoral arrangements for Argyll and Bute and The Highland Council areas. We carried out these further reviews and submitted our report to Scottish Ministers on 25 March 2026.  Links to our further review reports are provided below.