Lieutenancy areas of Scotland


The lieutenancy areas of Scotland are the areas used for the ceremonial lord-lieutenant, the monarch's representative in Scotland's Lieutenancy areas. The lords-lieutenant titles, chosen by the monarch and his 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, the lieutenants appointed "for the Counties, Stewartries, Cities, and Places" were given powers to raise and command County Militia Units.
While in their lieutenancies, lords-lieutenant 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.

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 within the regions and districts which were established on that date. The lieutenancy areas were not given names in the 1975 order transferring the lieutenancies. When local government was reorganised again on 1 April 1996, the lieutenancy areas remained essentially the same, with minor border adjustments in some based on new council area boundaries. The order transferring the lieutenancies in 1996 gave each lieutenancy a name, usually taken from the names of the pre-1975 counties which roughly correspond to the lieutenancy areas. Some lieutenancy names differ though, with the pre-1975 county of Peeblesshire now corresponding to a lieutenancy of Tweeddale.
Pre-1975 lieutenancy Current Lieutenancy areaFormer regionDefinition
AberdeenshireAberdeenshireGrampianThe County of Aberdeen as existing before 16 May 1975, except that part in the City of Aberdeen
AngusAngusTaysideDistrict of Angus
ArgyllArgyll and ButeStrathclydeDistrict of Argyll and Bute
AyrAyrshire and ArranStrathclydeDistricts of Cunninghame, Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Kyle and Carrick and Cumnock and Doon Valley
BanffshireBanffshireGrampianThe county of Banffshire as existing before 16 May 1975
BerwickBerwickshireBordersDistrict of Berwickshire
CaithnessCaithnessHighlandDistrict of Caithness
ClackmannanClackmannanshireCentralDistrict of Clackmannan
DumfriesDumfriesDumfries and GallowayDistricts of Nithsdale and Annandale and Eskdale
DunbartonDunbartonshireStrathclydeDistricts of Dumbarton, Clydebank, Bearsden and Milngavie, Strathkelvin and Cumbernauld and Kilsyth
East LothianEast LothianLothianDistrict of East Lothian
FifeFifeFifeEntire region
InvernessInvernessHighlandDistricts of Lochaber, Inverness and Badenoch and Strathspey
KincardineshireKincardineshireGrampianThe county of Kincardineshire as existing before 16 May 1975, except that part in the City of Aberdeen
Kinross Perth and KinrossTaysideDistrict of Perth and Kinross
Stewartry of KirkcudbrightStewartry of KirkcudbrightDumfries and GallowayDistrict of Stewartry
LanarkLanarkshireStrathclydeDistricts of Monklands, Motherwell, Hamilton, East Kilbride and Lanark
MidlothianMidlothianLothianDistrict of Midlothian
MorayMorayGrampianThe county of Moray as existing before 16 May 1975, excluding the parts in Highland
NairnNairnHighlandDistrict of Nairn
OrkneyOrkneyOrkney Islands AreaEntire area
PeeblesTweeddaleBordersDistrict of Tweeddale
Perth Perth and KinrossTaysideDistrict of Perth and Kinross
RenfrewRenfrewshireStrathclydeDistricts of Eastwood, Renfrew and Inverclyde
Ross and CromartyRoss and CromartyHighlandDistricts of Ross and Cromarty and Skye and Lochalsh
Roxburgh Roxburgh, Ettrick and LauderdaleBordersDistrict of Roxburgh
Selkirk Roxburgh, Ettrick and LauderdaleBordersDistrict of Ettrick and Lauderdale
StirlingStirling and FalkirkCentralDistricts of Stirling and Falkirk
SutherlandSutherlandHighlandDistrict of Sutherland
West LothianWest LothianLothianDistrict of West Lothian
Inverness Western IslesWestern Isles Islands AreaEntire area
WigtownWigtownDumfries and GallowayDistrict of Wigtown
ZetlandShetlandShetland Islands AreaEntire area