An election to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar was held on 6 May 1999 as part of the wider 1999 Scottish local elections.
The council, formerly known as Western Isles Council, had been renamed in 1997 in Gaelic as Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Council ward boundaries had also been changed since the previous election, and the total number of wards was increased from 30 to 31.
The election was the first since 1994. Whilst the new Scottish councils had seen elections in 1995, the three Island Councils (Western Isles, Shetland and Orkney) had not, as they had not been affected by the abolition of the regional and district levels of governance in Scotland. The Island Councils had instead utilised a unitary system, like that adopted by the other Scottish councils in 1995, since their inception.[1]
The Scottish National Party ran candidates for the first time, gaining four seats.
Aggregate results
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar election, 1999[2]
Turnout in contested wards: 64.2% (9,269) Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Independent | 22 | | | 3 | | 74.1 | 6,866 | 15.7 |
| Labour | 5 | | | 1 | | 10.1 | 935 | 0.1 |
| SNP | 4 | | | 4 | | 15.8 | 1,468 | New |
Ward results
Barra & Vatersay Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| SNP | Donald Manford | 418 | 73.5% |
| Independent | P. Brown | 151 | 26.5% |
Majority | 267 | 46.9% |
| SNP gain from Independent |
Barvas & Arnol Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | Iain Morrison | 275 | 53.9% |
| Independent | R. Macdonald (Incumbent) | 235 | 46.1% |
Majority | 40 | 7.8% |
| Independent hold |
Bayhead Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | A. MacRae (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| Independent hold |
Blackwater Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | Iain MacLeod | 286 | 58.1% |
| Independent | D. Murray (Incumbent) | 206 | 41.9% |
Majority | 82 | 16.3% |
| Independent hold |
Braighe Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | Donald Nicholson (Incumbent) | 312 | 57.1% |
| Independent | M. McCormack | 156 | 28.6% |
| Labour | E. Collier | 78 | 14.3% |
Majority | 156 | 28.6% |
| Independent hold |
Carloway Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | Alex MacDonald (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| Independent hold |
Castle Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| SNP | A. Nicolson | 197 | 46.7% |
| Labour | C. MacMillan (Incumbent) | 146 | 34.6% |
| Independent | M. O'Connor | 79 | 18.7% |
Majority | 51 | 12.1% |
| SNP gain from Labour |
Coll Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | C. Graham | unopposed | unopposed |
Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| Independent hold |
Coulregrein Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Labour | G. Lonie | unopposed | unopposed |
Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| Labour hold |
Daliburgh & Eriskay Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | David Blaney (Incumbent) | 174 | 43.6% |
| Independent | Angus MacDonald | 137 | 34.3% |
| Independent | W. Rusk | 88 | 22.1% |
Majority | 37 | 9.3% |
| Independent hold |
Dell Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| SNP | M. MacLeod | 161 | 32.2% |
| Independent | J. MacKay | 133 | 26.6% |
| Independent | R. Martin | 125 | 25.0% |
| Independent | D. MacKay (Incumbent) | 81 | 16.2% |
Majority | 28 | 5.6% |
| SNP gain from Independent |
Eochar Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | Mary Bremner (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| Independent hold |
Goathill Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | N. MacDonald (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| Independent hold |
Gress Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | A. Graham (Incumbent) | 319 | 53.1% |
| Independent | M. MacLeod | 282 | 46.9% |
Majority | 37 | 6.2% |
| Independent hold |
Harris East Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | D. MacDonald | 463 | 79.7% |
| Independent | Kenny MacKay (Incumbent) | 118 | 20.3% |
Majority | 345 | 59.4% |
| Independent hold |
Harris West Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | Morag Munro | 325 | 52.5% |
| Independent | W. Fulton | 294 | 47.5% |
Majority | 31 | 5.0% |
| Independent hold |
Knock & Bayble Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | Norman MacLeod | 295 | 60.3% |
| Independent | I. MacIver | 194 | 39.7% |
Majority | 101 | 20.7% |
| Independent hold |
Laxdale Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Labour | R. Murray (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| Labour hold |
Loch Eynort Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | R. MacKinnon | unopposed | unopposed |
Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| Independent hold |
Lochmaddy Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | D. MacLean (Incumbent) | 292 | 59.8% |
| SNP | A. MacDonald | 196 | 40.2% |
Majority | 96 | 19.7% |
| Independent hold |
Lochs Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | D. MacKay (Incumbent) | 365 | 73.4% |
| SNP | L. Mac An Ultaigh | 132 | 26.6% |
Majority | 233 | 46.9% |
| Independent hold |
Manor Park Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Labour | R. MacDonald | 266 | 59.0% |
| Independent | D. MacIver (Incumbent) | 185 | 41.0% |
Majority | 81 | 18.0% |
| Labour gain from Independent |
Newton Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | Angus Campbell | 284 | 64.4% |
| Labour | F. Burns (Incumbent) | 114 | 25.9% |
| Independent | A. Smith | 43 | 9.8% |
Majority | 170 | 38.5% |
| Independent gain from Labour |
North Benbecula Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | J. McArthur | 159 | 53.4% |
| Independent | D. Johnstone | 139 | 46.6% |
Majority | 20 | 6.7% |
| Independent hold |
North Lochs Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | F. Morrison (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| Independent hold |
Paible Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Labour | Archie Campbell | unopposed | unopposed |
Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| Labour gain from Independent |
Plasterfield Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| SNP | P. McLean | 260 | 57.0% |
| Labour | M. MacLeod | 196 | 43.0% |
Majority | 64 | 14.0% |
| SNP gain from Independent |
Port of Ness Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | K. MacKenzie (Incumbent) | 278 | 61.5% |
| Independent | D. MacLennan | 174 | 38.5% |
Majority | 104 | 23.0% |
| Independent hold |
Shawbost Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | R. Morrison (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| Independent hold |
Tiumpan Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Independent | Donald MacSween | 219 | 47.8% |
| Labour | A. Cameron | 135 | 29.5% |
| SNP | M. MacKenzie | 104 | 22.7% |
Majority | 84 | 18.3% |
| Independent gain from Labour |
Uig Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Labour | Norman MacDonald (Incumbent) | unopposed | unopposed |
Majority | unopposed | unopposed |
| Labour hold |
References