Lieutenancy areas of Scotland
The lieutenancy areas of Scotland (Scots: Lieutenancy auries o Scotland, Scottish Gaelic: sgìrean fo-thalamh na h-Alba) are the areas used for the ceremonial lord-lieutenants, the monarch's representatives, in Scotland. The lord-lieutenants' titles chosen by the monarch and her legal advisers are mainly based on placenames of the traditional counties of Scotland. In 1794 permanent lieutenancies were established by Royal Warrant. By the Militia Act 1797 (37 Geo.3, C.103), the lieutenants appointed "for the Counties, Stewartries, Cities, and Places" were given powers to raise and command County Militia Units.
While in their lieutenancies, lord lieutenants are among the few individuals in Scotland officially permitted to fly a banner of the Royal Arms of Scotland, the "Lion Rampant" as it is more commonly known.
Lieutenancy areas are different from the current local government council areas and their committee areas. They also differ from other subdivisions of Scotland including sheriffdoms and former regions and districts.
The Lord Provosts of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, and Glasgow also act ex officio as lord-lieutenants. This is a unique right in the United Kingdom: all other lord-lieutenants are appointed by the monarch, rather than being elected politicians.
List
Definition of the areas
Each Lord-Lieutenant of a county holding office immediately prior to the local government reorganisation of Scotland on 16 May 1975 was appointed to an area (usually the traditional county area) within the regions and districts which were established on that date. The regions and districts were themselves superseded on 1 April 1996, but the lieutenancy areas remain the same (with minor border adjustments in some based on new council area boundaries).
County | Lieutenancy title | Former region | Part of the former region included |
---|---|---|---|
Aberdeen | Aberdeenshire | Grampian | The County of Aberdeen as existing before 16 May 1975, except that part in the City of Aberdeen |
Angus | Angus | Tayside | District of Angus |
Argyll | Argyll and Bute | Strathclyde | District of Argyll and Bute |
Ayr | Ayrshire and Arran | Strathclyde | Districts of Cunninghame, Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Kyle and Carrick and Cumnock and Doon Valley |
Banff | Banffshire | Grampian | the county of Banff as existing before 16 May 1975 |
Berwick | Berwickshire | Borders | District of Berwickshire |
Caithness | Caithness | Highland | District of Caithness |
Clackmannan | Clackmannan or Clackmannanshire | Central | District of Clackmannan |
Dumfries | Dumfries or Dumfriesshire | Dumfries and Galloway | Districts of Nithsdale and Annandale and Eskdale |
Dunbarton | Dunbartonshire (the County being spelt with "N" Dunbartonshire and the town with "M" Dumbarton) | Strathclyde | Districts of Dumbarton, Clydebank, Bearsden and Milngavie, Strathkelvin and Cumbernauld and Kilsyth |
East Lothian | East Lothian | Lothian | District of East Lothian |
Fife | Fife | Fife | Entire Region |
Inverness | Inverness or Inverness-shire | Highland | Districts of Lochaber, Inverness and Badenoch and Strathspey |
Kincardine | Kincardineshire | Grampian | The county of Kincardine as existing before 16 May 1975, except that part in the City of Aberdeen |
Kinross (held jointly with Perth) | Perth and Kinross | Tayside | District of Perth and Kinross |
Stewartry of Kirkcudbright | Kirkcudbrightshire or Stewartry of Kirkcudbright | Dumfries and Galloway | District of Stewartry |
Lanarkshire | Lanarkshire | Strathclyde | Districts of Monklands, Motherwell, Hamilton, East Kilbride and Lanark |
Midlothian | Midlothian | Lothian | District of Midlothian |
Moray | Morayshire | Grampian | Such part of the county of Moray as existing before 16 May 1975 as lies within the Region |
Nairn | Nairn | Highland | District of Nairn |
Orkney | Orkney | Orkney Islands Area | Entire area |
Peebles | Peeblesshire | Borders | District of Tweeddale |
Perth (held jointly with Kinross) | Perth and Kinross | Tayside | District of Perth and Kinross |
Renfrew | Renfrewshire | Strathclyde | Districts of Eastwood, Renfrew and Inverclyde |
Ross and Cromarty | Ross and Cromarty | Highland | Districts of Ross and Cromarty and Skye and Lochalsh |
Roxburgh (held jointly with Selkirk) | Roxburgh or Roxburghshire (held with Ettrick and Lauderdale) | Borders | District of Roxburgh |
Selkirk (held jointly with Roxburgh) | Ettrick and Lauderdale (held with Roxburgh) | Borders | District of Ettrick and Lauderdale |
Stirling | Stirling and Falkirk | Central | Districts of Stirling and Falkirk |
Sutherland | Sutherland | Highland | District of Sutherland |
West Lothian | West Lothian | Lothian | District of West Lothian |
- | Western Isles | Western Isles Islands Area | Entire area |
Wigtown | Wigtown or Wigtownshire | Dumfries and Galloway | District of Wigtown |
Zetland | Shetland | Shetland Islands Area | Entire area |