Timeline of Boundary Laws
Boundary and Name Changes Summary & Details
Burghs Definitions and Timeline
Regions and Districts, 1975-1996
In this section I've compiled the boundary and name changes within Scottish shires and parishes, organized by shire/county. Included are both summaries and details, which feature property names and owners in the affected parishes.
For more in depth study of the history of parish locations, boundaries, and mapping, see:
National Library of Scotland: Scottish Counties and Parishes
Scotland's People: Parishes and districts
Timeline of Boundary Laws
1844 New Parishes (Scotland) Act
1870 Inverness and Elgin County Boundaries Act
1889 Local Government (Scotland) Act
1892 Burgh Police (Scotland) Act
1894 Local Government (Scotland) Act
1896 Burgh Reform Act
1900 Edinburgh Corporation Act
1912 Glasgow Boundaries Act
1920 City of Edinburgh Extension Act
1929 Local Government (Scotland) Act
1947 Local Government (Scotland) Act
1973 Local Government (Scotland) Act
| Boundary and Name Changes Summary & Details | ||
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | Elgin (Moray) | Peebles |
| Argyll | Fife | Perth |
| Ayr | Forfar (Angus) | Renfrew |
| Banff | Haddington (East Lothian) | Ross |
| Berwick | Inverness | Roxburgh |
| Bute | Kincardine | Selkirk |
| Caithness | Kinross | Shetland |
| Clackmannan | Kirkcudbright | Stirling |
| Cromarty | Lanark | Sutherland |
| Dumfries | Linlithgow (West Lothian) | Wigtown |
| Dunbarton | Nairn | |
| Edinburgh (Midlothian) | Orkney | |
REGIONS AND DISTRICTS (1975-1996)
As a result of the 1973 Local Government (Scotland) Act, the historic shires and counties were replaced with 9 Regions that were divided into 53 Districts, and 3 Island Groups. The changes took effect on 15 May 1975, and were in place until 1996.
Below is a list of the Regions, Districts, and Island Groups. To determine which Region and District a particular parish fell into, see OPR Parishes 1975-1996 Regions and Districts.
BURGHS: DEFINITIONS AND TIMELINE
Burgh of Barony: Towns granted to a tenant-in-chief, sometimes known as a Laird, who held his estates directly from the crown. Read more about Burghs of Barony at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burgh_of_barony
Burgh of Regality: Towns granted to leading noblemen/landowners. Read more about Burghs of Regality at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burgh_of_regality
Large Burgh: Towns with a population over 20,000.
Police Burgh: Towns that adopted a system of governing run by elected magistrates and commissioners, for public safety and health - including the administration of tax collection, police, street maintenance, gas and water, etc. Several different Acts laid out, or changed, the responsibilities of Police burghs from 1833 through the 1900s. Read more about Police burghs at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_burgh
Royal Burgh: Towns established by a monarch on royal lands. Read more about Royal Burghs at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_burgh
Small Burgh: Towns with a population under 20,000.
Following the Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1892, three royal burghs (Aberdeen, Dundee, and Glasgow) were elevated into counties of cities; they are independent of surrounding counties, or counties they were previously located within, for governing purposes. Edinburgh has been an independent county of a city since the 13th century.
In 1929 the Local Government (Scotland) Act separated burghs into Large Burghs (cities with a population of over 20,000) and Small Burghs.
The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which went into effect in 1975, abolished the Burgh system.
Locations of historic shires of Scotland.
View more maps at Wikipedia