Council area · Scotland

Orkney Islands

Orkney Islands is a council area. It is a single-tier authority, so it runs both local and larger services.

What this council is responsible for

Orkney Islands
Council area · S12000023
  • Planning applications
  • Bin and recycling collection
  • Council tax and business rates collection
  • Housing and homelessness
  • Licensing
  • Environmental health
  • Parks and leisure
  • Local elections
  • Schools and education
  • Adult social care
  • Children’s services
  • Roads and highways
  • Waste disposal
  • Libraries
  • Trading standards
  • Public health

Policing and fire are national services in Scotland, not council functions.

Official website →
Type
Council area
Single tier
Official code
S12000023
ONS GSS code
Nation
Scotland
Local planning authority
Yes. Decides planning applications in its area.
4
Postcode sectors
4
Wards
1
Constituencies

Boundary

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Ultra-generalised boundary (500 m) from the ONS Open Geography Portal, Open Government Licence v3. Indicative at this scale; not for legal or planning use. See it among its neighbours on the UK map →

Parliamentary constituencies

Wards

4 wards recorded in this council area.

Kirkwall East · Kirkwall West and Orphir · Stromness and South Isles · West Mainland

Postcode sectors

KW15 1 · KW15 9 · KW16 3 · KW17 2

Sources: ONS Open Geography Portal (boundaries and names, retrieved 2026-09-05, Open Government Licence v3); National Statistics Postcode Lookup May 2026; Wikidata (official website, CC0). Official code S12000023.