The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1888 (52 & 53 Vict. Ch. 50) was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 26 August 1889. The main effect of the act was to establish elected county councils in Scotland. In this it followed the pattern introduced in England and Wales by the Local Government Act 1888. The Houses of Parliament, seen over Westminster Bridge The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ... 1889 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... In the British Isles, a county council is a council that governs a county. ... Scotland - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... England - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Waless location within the UK Official languages English, Welsh Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff First Minister Rhodri Morgan Area  - Total Ranked 3rd UK 20,779 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 3rd UK 2,903,085 140/km² NUTS 1...

County councils

The act provided that a county council should be established in each county, consisting of elected councillors. The county was to be divided into electoral divisions, made up of groupings of parishes, each returning one councillor. In addition police burghs in the county were also regarded as electoral divisions, though the councillors for these areas were co-opted by the members of the burgh's town council. A burgh (pronounced burruh) is the Scots language equivalent of the English language borough. ...

The chairman of each county council, elected by the members, was given the title " Convenor of the county". Convener or Convenor is a Scots, and Scottish English, gender-neutral word that approximates chairman. ...

Powers transferred to the county councils

The county councils received numerous powers and duties previously performed by a number of bodies:

• Commissioners of Supply for the county
• County road trustees
• Justices of the peace of the county in general or special or quarter sessions

Among the diverse functions acquired from the justices were inspection of gas meters, regulation of explosive materials, weights and measures, habitual drunkards, control of wild birds and providing visitors to asylums.

In addition the county council exercised authority under the Public Health Acts for the entire county outside burghs. They also had jurisdiction under legislation dealing with contagious animal diseases and destructive insects.

County councils also took over police functions from burghs with less than 7,000 population.

Section 15 of the act allowed the Secretary for Scotland to transfer further powers to the councils. The Secretary for Scotland was the former title of the chief minister in charge of the Scotland Office in the United Kingdom government. ...

Areas and boundaries

The counties were initially to have the same boundaries as those already existing with some stated exceptions:

• The county of Lanark was to be united. Previously, for some administrative purposes it comprised three counties, known as the counties of the lower, middle or upper ward of Lanark.
• The counties of Ross and Cromarty were to be united "for all purposes whatsoever" as the county of Ross and Cromarty.
• The boundaries of the counties of Dumbarton and Stirling were to be adjusted, so that the entire parishes of Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch were to be in the former county. This area remained a detached part of Dunbartonshire until the county's abolition in 1975.
• Part of the county of Banff was transferred to the county of Aberdeen; and part of the county of Elgin was transferred to the county of Banff. These areas had already been administered by the counties in question under highways legislation.
• The county of Orkney and lordship of Zetland were seperated to form counties of those names.

Lanarkshire (Siorrachd Lannraig in Gaelic) is a traditional county of Scotland. ... ross is by far the coolest name you can have. ... Location within the British Isles. ... Ross and Cromarty: administrative county (1889-1975) Ross and Cromarty: district council (1975-1996) Ross and Cromarty: lieutenancy area (1996-date) Ross and Cromarty (Ros agus Cromba in Gaelic) was until 1975, an administrative county, originally formed in 1889 as a merger of Ross-shire and Cromartyshire. ... Dunbartonshire is one of the Traditional counties of Scotland, in that part of the country formerly called Lennox (which was a title of nobility). ... Stirlingshire (Siorrachd Sruighlea in Gaelic) is a traditional county of Scotland, based around Stirling, the traditional county town. ... Cumbernauld is a new town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, created in 1956 as a population overflow for Glasgow. ... Kirkintilloch is a Scottish burgh which lies on the line of the Roman Antonine Wall in East Dunbartonshire, about 8 miles north-east of Glasgow. ... Dunbartonshire is one of the Traditional counties of Scotland, in that part of the country formerly called Lennox (which was a title of nobility). ... Banffshire (Siorrachd Bhanbh in Gaelic) is a small traditional county in the north of Scotland. ... Aberdeenshire can refer to two local authorities in Scotland with this name. ... Moray (Moireibh in Gaelic), one of the 32 unitary council regions (or areas) of Scotland, lies in the north-east of the country and borders on the regions of Aberdeenshire and Highland. ... Banffshire (Siorrachd Bhanbh in Gaelic) is a small traditional county in the north of Scotland. ... The Orkney Islands form one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland, and are a Lieutenancy Area. ... See Shetland (disambiguation) for other meanings. ...

Boundary changes

It was recognised in the act that the boundaries of the counties would need to be adjusted from those in use for earlier purposes. Accordingly, section 45 established a body styled the Boundary Commissioners for Scotland to form electoral divisions, regulate the boundary of counties, make the boundaries of burghs and parishes coincide with those of counties and to deal with detached parts of counties and parishes. The commissioners were to be dissolved two years after the first election of councillors.

Subsequent to the commissioners' dissolution, the Secretary of Scotland was given the power to vary boundaries on the application of a council. The Secretary for Scotland was the former title of the chief minister in charge of the Scotland Office in the United Kingdom government. ...

Districts and district committees

Each county (unless it contained less than six parishes) was to be divided into districts consisting of groups of electoral divisions. Each district was to have a district committee consisting of the area's county councillors, one representative form each parochial board in the district, and one from each burgh. The committees performed the county council's functions in respect of the Public Health Acts and highways legislation.