This is the UK’s most northerly seat. The Orkney Islands are separated from the Scottish mainland by a seven-mile stretch of the Pentland Firth, and consist of 70 islands of which only 20 are inhabited. There are two main towns, Kirkwall, the capital and administrative centre, and Stromness, both of which are situated on the largest island, which is known as "the mainland". Apart from the oil terminal at Flotta, the main industry in Orkney is beef production.
The Shetland Islands are nearer to Norway than England, and their Viking heritage is celebrated in the annual Up Helly Aa fire festival. The main town of Lerwick is a centre for the oil industry and further to the north is Sullom Voe oil terminal. Due to the declining oil industry, there has been a return to traditional industries such as fishing where new boats are being purchased and knitwear factories have been developed.
The Liberal Democrats and their forebears have held the seat of Orkney and Shetland since 1950. The leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Jim Wallace, is the sitting Westminster MP for Orkney and Shetland.