Orkney Islands Council Tax 2026/27

Band D council tax in Orkney Islands is £1,669.07 for 2026/27, up 6% (£94.47) on last year. That is £15.63 above the Scotland average of £1,653.44 — the 13th lowest of 32 councils. Most homes here are in Band B (25%), so the average bill per home is about £1,549.

Updated 2026-10-03 · Scottish council · Official Scotland government statistics

Orkney Islands council tax bands 2026/27

Band	Property value (1991)	Annual	10 instalments	12 instalments	Living alone (−25%)	Homes
A	Up to £27,000	£1,112.71	£111.27	£92.73	£834.53	2,106
B	£27,001 to £35,000	£1,298.17	£129.82	£108.18	£973.62	2,814
C	£35,001 to £45,000	£1,483.62	£148.36	£123.63	£1,112.71	2,442
D	£45,001 to £58,000	£1,669.07	£166.91	£139.09	£1,251.80	1,943
E	£58,001 to £80,000	£2,192.97	£219.30	£182.75	£1,644.73	1,608
F	£80,001 to £106,000	£2,712.24	£271.22	£226.02	£2,034.18	394
G	£106,001 to £212,000	£3,268.60	£326.86	£272.38	£2,451.45	27
H	More than £212,000	£4,089.22	£408.92	£340.77	£3,066.92	5

Orkney Islands
Scotland average

Band A

£1,113

£1,102

Band B

£1,298

£1,286

Band C

£1,484

£1,470

Band D

£1,669

£1,653

Band E

£2,193

£2,172

Band F

£2,712

£2,687

Band G

£3,269

£3,238

Band H

£4,089

£4,051

Orkney Islands council tax, Band D£1,669.07 a year£166.91 over 10 monthly instalments · 2026/27

Band A

£1,113

Band B

£1,298

Band C

£1,484

Band D

£1,669

Band E

£2,193

Band F

£2,712

Band G

£3,269

Band H

£4,089

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Orkney Islands council tax history

Band D in Orkney Islands has risen from £1,037.00 in 2016/17 to £1,669.07 in 2026/27 — 61% in 10 years. Over the last five years it rose 38.1%, the 2nd biggest increase of 32 councils in Scotland.

Orkney Islands Band D

Year	Band D	Change	Band B
2026/27	£1,669.07	+6.0%	£1,298.17
2025/26	£1,574.60	+15.0%	£1,224.69
2024/25	£1,369.21	+0.0%	£1,064.94
2023/24	£1,369.21	+10.0%	£1,064.94
2022/23	£1,244.73	+3.0%	£968.12
2021/22	£1,208.48	+0.0%	£939.93
2020/21	£1,208.48	+4.8%	£939.93
2019/20	£1,152.69	+4.8%	£896.54
2018/19	£1,100.00	+3.0%	£855.56
2017/18	£1,068.00	+3.0%	£830.67
2016/17	£1,037.00	–	£806.56

Homes by council tax band in Orkney Islands

Orkney Islands has 11,339 homes on the valuation list (chargeable dwellings, September 2025). 43% are in Bands A or B. The most common band is B, which costs £1,298.17 a year (£129.82 a month over 10 instalments).

Band A

2,106

Band B

2,814

Band C

2,442

Band D

1,943

Band E

1,608

Band F

394

Band G

Band H

Orkney Islands compared with Scotland

Orkney Islands is the 13th cheapest of 32 councils in Scotland, where the average Band D across councils is £1,661.92 (£7.15 less than here). Cheapest: South Lanarkshire (£1,468.47); most expensive: Midlothian (£1,816.16).

Council	Band D 2026/27	Change
City of Edinburgh	£1,626.05	+4%
West Lothian	£1,627.59	+7.4%
Highland	£1,633.99	+7%
Orkney Islands	£1,669.07	+6%
Perth & Kinross	£1,673.84	+8.9%
Inverclyde	£1,673.85	+7.9%
West Dunbartonshire	£1,681.53	+7.8%

Discounts and reductions

Living alone: 25% off — a Band B bill in Orkney Islands drops from £1,298.17 to £973.62.
Council Tax Reduction: Orkney Islands runs its own scheme for people on low incomes or benefits under the national Scottish rules.
Disregards and exemptions: full-time students, student halls, some carers and people with a severe mental impairment are not counted; all-student homes pay nothing.
Disabled Band Reduction: if your home has been adapted for a disabled person you may be billed one band lower.

Orkney Islands's 6% rise compares with a Scotland average of about 7.1%. Scottish councils set their own rates, and water and sewerage charges are added on top.

Orkney's plan to reach the Scottish average

The 6% rise for 2026/27 is the second stage of a plan Orkney Islands Council agreed in March 2024: bring council tax up to the Scottish average by 2027. The council says that for a number of years it was at or near the bottom of the Scottish table, which was unaffordable. It raised council tax by 15% in 2025/26. This year's 6% takes Band D from £1,574.60 to £1,669.07, an extra £1.82 a week, and brings in about £605,000.

Council tax raises only around 9% of Orkney's income, compared with 18 to 19% across Scotland. The council puts this down partly to the council tax freeze and partly to having fewer high-band homes. Running services on islands, with extra transport and energy costs, is among the most expensive in the country. The 2026/27 budget is £153.3 million. The Scottish Government provides about £120.1 million (78%). The council also faces £2.51 million of unavoidable new costs and pays £1.7 million into the national funding "floor", up from £267,000.

The gap is filled from the Strategic Reserve Fund, with a maximum draw of £20 million. That is 13% of the net budget, down from 18% in 2024/25. Other council charges rise by 3.8%.

Empty homes, second homes and the isles

Orkney has added a 100% surcharge to homes empty for more than 12 months since 1 October 2019. Second homes have paid a 100% surcharge since 1 April 2024, shown on the bill as a Second Home Premium. A Band D second home pays £3,338.14 in council tax. Water and waste water are not surcharged.

Empty homes can get a 10% discount for their first 12 months. Empty and unfurnished homes may be fully exempt for up to 6 months, then get a 50% discount for up to 6 more.
If an empty home is genuinely on the market at a realistic price, the surcharge is delayed until it has been empty 2 years, or 3 years in the North and South Isles (not Burray or South Ronaldsay).
A second home can get a 50% discount instead of the surcharge if the owner lives in Orkney but works across water with no daily ferry commute, and uses the second home to keep that job.

Paying and Council Tax Reduction in Orkney

Council tax is normally paid in 10 instalments from April to January, due on or before the 28th. Direct Debit can be taken on the 1st, 8th, 18th or 28th. You can also pay in person at the Kirkwall council offices or at Warehouse Buildings in Stromness. In 2024-25 the council collected 96% of bills in the year.

Council Tax Reduction can cover up to 100% of the council tax, but not water. A late claim can be backdated up to 6 months if you are under 60, or 3 months if you are 60 or over, if you had a good reason for not claiming sooner. Second Adult Rebate can take up to 25% off if you share your home with a low-income adult who is not your partner. Bands are set by the Orkney and Shetland Valuation Joint Board at 8 Broad Street, Kirkwall.

Frequently asked questions

How much is Band D council tax in Orkney Islands?

£1,669.07 a year in 2026/27, or £166.91 a month over 10 instalments. Water and sewerage charges from Scottish Water are billed on top.

What council tax band are most homes in Orkney Islands?

Band B: 2,814 of 11,339 homes (25%). A Band B bill is £1,298.17 in 2026/27.

How much has Orkney Islands council tax gone up?

6% this year, from £1,574.60 to £1,669.07 at Band D. Since 2016/17 it has risen 61%.

How do I find my council tax band?

Search your address on the Scottish Assessors website (saa.gov.uk). You can appeal within six months of moving in.

Why did Orkney council tax rise 15% then 6%?

In March 2024 the council agreed a strategy to bring council tax up to the Scottish average by 2027 to make services sustainable. It rose 15% in 2025/26 and 6% in 2026/27.

Do island workers pay the second home surcharge in Orkney?

Not always. A second home kept so the owner can work on another island with no daily commuting link can get a 50% discount instead of the 100% surcharge.

How many second homes are there in Orkney?

National Records of Scotland counted 427 in September 2025, 3.6% of dwellings and the third-highest share in Scotland. That was down from 474 in 2023.

Sources

Figures are taken from official government publications and were last reviewed on 2026-10-03.