Orkney Islands Council has appointed Cllr Heather Woodbridge as Scotland's youngest local authority leader.
The 29-year-old, who is also the first woman to lead the local authority, was elected yesterday at a meeting of the Full Council.
Cllr Woodbridge was elected as the youngest councillor in the council’s 50-year history in October 2020 following a by-election which was called after the death of her father Kevin Woodbridge.
COSLA President Councillor Shona Morrison congratulated Cllr Woodbridge on her new position.
‘Not only is she one of the youngest Council Leaders in Scotland, she is the first female OIC Leader, almost 50 years after the first OIC was elected,’ she said.
‘Heather sits on COSLA’s Barriers to Elected Office Group where she is a valued member and contributes significantly on issues like councillors safety and has views on being a young woman in a rural ward. It is good to see her breaking down the barriers further and I wish her well in her new role and look forward to working with her starting at COSLA Leaders meeting on Friday.’
