Logo: small map of Scotland
Link to Local Information and Links, Maps, Contacts & Tourist Advice








The organisation of local government in Scotland changed dramatically in 1975 when 33 counties were swept away and replaced by 12 regions. An equally dramatic change occurred in 1996 when the 12 regions were replaced by 32 council areas. Some of these reflected the counties that had disappeared in 1975, but many did not. As a result there remains considerable nostalgia amongst many in Scotland for the "lost" pre-1975 counties, and their names continue to crop up in descriptions of places and in addresses. You will even still find in fairly common use the names of some counties that disappeared in an earlier reorganisation in 1890, such as Ross-shire.

This page aims to give an idea of the coverage of the council areas introduced in 1996, together with the regions and counties from 1975, from 1890 and before 1890.

Since 1 April 1996 Scotland has been divided into 32 Council Areas, each of which is is governed by a unitary Council. Population, area and populaton density figures for each Council Area can be found here.

Key to Council Areas:

  1. Inverclyde
  2. Renfrewshire
  3. West Dunbartonshire
  4. East Dunbartonshire
  5. City of Glasgow
  6. East Renfrewshire
  7. North Lanarkshire
  8. Falkirk
  9. West Lothian
  10. City of Edinburgh
  11. Midlothian
  12. East Lothian
  13. Clackmannanshire
  14. Fife
  15. City of Dundee
  16. Angus
  17. Aberdeenshire
 Map Showing Council Areas of Scotland Since 1996Note About Image Copyright

Key to Council Areas:

  1. City of Aberdeen
  2. Moray
  3. Highland
  4. Na h-Eileanan Siar
    (Western Isles)
  5. Argyll & Bute
  6. Perth and Kinross
  7. Stirling
  8. North Ayrshire
  9. East Ayrshire
  10. South Ayrshire
  11. Dumfries & Galloway
  12. South Lanarkshire
  13. Scottish Borders

Not Shown:

  • Orkney Islands
  • Shetland Islands

From 1975 to 1996 local government in Scotland had a two-tier structure. There were 12 Regions, most divided into between three and nineteen Districts each, though three were not divided. Some council functions were delivered by the Regional Councils, while others were delivered by the District Councils. For the first time the Western Isles were brought under a single locally-based administration. A list of the districts within each region is can be found here.

Key to Regions, 1975-1996:

  1. Strathclyde
  2. Dumfries and Galloway
  3. Scottish Borders
  4. Lothian
  5. Central Scotland
  6. Fife
  7. Tayside
  8. Grampian
  9. Highland
  10. Western Isles

Not Shown:

  • Orkney Islands
  • Shetland Islands
 Map Showing Regions of Scdotland from 1975-1996Note About Image Copyright

In 1890 Local Government in Scotland was reorganised into 33 County Councils. This system was to remain in place until 1975. The map was much neater than that in place before 1890, with only one exclave remaining, of Dunbartonshire (the name was changed from Dumbartonshire in the early 1900s) squeezed between Stirlingshire and Lanarkshire. The Western Isles remained spit between two counties whose county towns were at distant Dingwall and Inverness.

Key to Counties, 1890-1975:

  1. Caithness
  2. Sutherland
  3. Ross and Cromarty
  4. Inverness-shire
  5. Nairnshire
  6. County of Moray
  7. Banffshire
  8. Aberdeenshire
  9. Kincardineshire
  10. Angus
    (Forfarshire until 1928)
  11. Perthshire
  12. Argyll
  13. County of Bute
  14. Ayrshire
  15. Renfrewshire
  16. Dunbartonshire
  17. Stirlingshire
  18. Clackmannanshire
  19. Kinross-shire
  20. Fife
  21. East Lothian (Haddingtonshire until 1921)
  22. Midlothian
    (County of Edinburgh until 1921)
Map Showing Counties of Scotland from 1890Note About Image Copyright
  1. West Lothian
    (Linlithgowshire until 1921)
  2. Lanarkshire
  3. Peeblesshire
  4. Selkirkshire
  5. Berwickshire
  6. Roxburghshire
  7. Dumfriesshire
  8. Kirkcudbrightshire
  9. Wigtownshire

Not Shown:

  • Orkney
  • Zetland

Up until 1890, Local Government in Scotland comprised 34 County Councils whose areas had evolved over the centuries from the mormaerdoms, stewartries and sheriffdoms of medieval Scotland. Because of this background, the arrangements were chaotic in places, with numerous enclaves and exclaves: islands of one county surrounded by another. Cromartyshire, which comprised a series of small areas scattered across Ross-shire, was the most obvious example. It is also striking how Lewis was governed as part of distant Ross-shire, while Harris and the Uists formed part of even more distant Inverness-shire.

Key to Counties, Pre-1890:

  1. Caithness
  2. Sutherland
  3. Ross-shire
  4. Cromartyshire
  5. Inverness-shire
  6. Nairnshire
  7. County of Moray
  8. Banffshire
  9. Aberdeenshire
  10. Kincardineshire
  11. Forfarshire
  12. Perthshire
  13. Argyll
  14. County of Bute
  15. Ayrshire
  16. Renfrewshire
  17. Dumbartonshire
  18. Stirlingshire
  19. Clackmannanshire
  20. Kinross-shire
  21. Fife
  22. Linlithgowshire
  23. County of Edinburgh
  24. Haddingtonshire
  25. Berwickshire
 Map Showing Counties of Scotland pre-1896Note About Image Copyright
  1. Roxburghshire
  2. Dumfriesshire
  3. Kirkcudbrightshire
  4. Wigtownshire
  5. Lanarkshire
  6. Selkirkshire
  7. Peeblesshire

Not Shown:

  • Orkney
  • Zetland

Top of Page Top of Page