| Election Name: | 1978 Shetland Islands Council election |
| Country: | Scotland |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Shetland.svg |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1974 Shetland Islands Area Council election |
| Previous Year: | 1974 |
| Next Election: | 1982 Shetland Islands Area Council election |
| Next Year: | 1982 |
| Seats For Election: | All 25 seats to Shetland Islands Council |
| Majority Seats: | 13 |
| Last Election1: | 18 |
| Leader1: | A.I. Tulloch |
| Party1: | Independent (politician) |
| Leaders Seat1: | Aithsting and Sandsting |
| Seats1: | 21 |
| Seat Change1: | 3 |
| Popular Vote1: | 4,039 |
| Percentage1: | 81.1% |
| Swing1: | 8.7% |
| Last Election2: | 4 |
| Party2: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Seats2: | 4 |
| Seat Change2: | 0 |
| Popular Vote2: | 941 |
| Percentage2: | 18.9% |
| Swing2: | 8.7% |
| Council Convener | |
| Posttitle: | Council Convener after election |
| Before Election: | A.I. Tulloch |
| Before Party: | Independent (politician) |
| After Election: | A.I. Tulloch |
| After Party: | Independent (politician) |
Elections to the Shetland Islands Council were held on 2 May 1978 as part of Scottish regional elections, with 11 seats uncontested. The election saw 14 new councillors enter the Shetland Islands Council, an unusually large number, in part attributable to the charged political context surrounding the devolution debate of the late 1970s.[1] Several of these incomers consisted of members of the pro-autonomy Shetland Group, later to become the Shetland Movement, and local Scottish National Party branch, registered as independents.[2]
The 1981 Burra and Trondra by-election was triggered by the resignation of Arthur Williamson. It was won by former councillor William Cumming, a member of the pro-autonomy Shetland Movement, as an independent candidate.[3]