Liam McArthur has been returned as MSP for the Orkney Islands after securing 70 per cent of the vote, the biggest vote share recorded in the history of the Scottish Parliament.

The Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP was comfortably re elected as counting concluded in Orkney following the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.

The result marks another commanding victory for McArthur, who has represented Orkney at Holyrood since 2007 and now enters a third decade serving the islands in the Scottish Parliament.

Liam McArthur said:

“It is a true privilege to be returning as the MSP for the Orkney Islands.

“I would like to thank my superb campaign team for their support, encouragement and hard work over the last six weeks.

“I would also like to thank my fellow candidates who have demonstrated you can have a political contest without knocking seven bells out of each other.

“And finally, I would like to thank everyone in Orkney who has placed their trust in the Scottish Liberal Democrats and returned me to parliament.

“It has been the privilege of my life to serve as your MSP for the last nineteen years, and I look forward immensely to the next five.”

The scale of the result underlines the continued strength of the Liberal Democrats in Orkney, where the party has long maintained deep local support.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole Hamilton said the result reflected both McArthur’s reputation locally and his long standing record as a parliamentarian.

Alex Cole Hamilton said:

“I am thrilled to see Liam McArthur returning to the Scottish Parliament with the biggest share of the vote in the history of Holyrood.

“People in Orkney know that they get an excellent service with the Scottish Liberal Democrats, which is why they have re elected Liam in huge numbers.

“For Liam McArthur’s public service to enter a third decade illustrates his talent and diligence as a parliamentarian.

“Orkney has returned an MSP who will work tirelessly to deliver for them.”

The result represents one of the strongest constituency performances anywhere in Scotland during the 2026 election.