Highland council area Shown as one of the council areas of Scotland 1995 to 1999 wards 1999 to 2007 wards 2007 to 2017 wards 2017 wards
The first set of Highland Council wards was first used for Highland Council election purposes in 1995, for the first general election of the council. They were replaced with 80 new wards for the second general election in 1999.
The Highland Council (Comhairle na Gaidhealtachd in Gaelic) had become a local government authority in 1996, when the two-tier system of regions and districts was abolished and the Highland region became a unitary council area, under the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994. The first Highland Council election, however, was one year earlier, in 1995. Until 1996 councillors shadowed the regional and district councils and planned for the transfer of powers and responsibilities. Elections to the council are normally on a four-year cycle, all wards being contestable at each election.
For the periods 1995 to 1999 each ward elected one councillor by the first past the post system. The first past the post system continued in use when new wards were introduced in 1999, but the increased number of wards meant an increase in the number of councillors.
The wards used from 1995 to 1999 were subdivisions of eight council management areas, with councillors elected from each area forming an area committee. The wards created in 1999, however, were not exactly subdivisions of the management areas, management area boundaries were not adjusted to take account of new ward boundaries and, therefore, area committees ceased to be exactly representative of areas for which they were named and for which they took decisions.
Lists of wards, 1995 to 1999
Wards are listed by management area, and are numbered as well as named.
Badenoch and Strathspey wards The Badenoch and Strathspey management area consisted of five wards:
No Ward Name term references 61 Aviemore Aviemore62 Carrbridge and Nethybridge Carrbridge and Nethybridge63 Dulnain Bridge Dulnain Bridge 64 Grantown Grantown-on-Spey60 Kingussie and Kincraig Kingussie and Kincraig
Caithness wards The Caithness management area consisted of eight wards:
No Ward Name term references 7 Central Caithness Caithness 5 North East Caithness 4 Pulteney Pulteney area of Wick 6 South East Caithness Caithness 2 Thurso East Thurso 1 Thurso West 8 West Caithness Caithness 9 Wick Wick
Inverness wards The Inverness management area included Loch Ness, Strathglass and the town of Inverness.
The management area consisted of 20 wards:
No Ward Name term references 46 Alt Na Sgitheach Alt Na Sgitheach 53 Ardersier Ardersier 39 Beauly Beauly 49 Canal A section of the Caledonian Canal, running between Loch Ness and the Moray Firth and thus through the town of Inverness 44 Columba Columba 52 Culloden Culloden 45 Drommond Drommond 38 Drumnadrochit Drumnadrochit36 East Loch Ness Loch Ness 37 Fort Augustus Fort Augustus 47 Hilton Hilton 51 Inshes Inshes 40 Kirkhill Kirkhill 42 Merkinch Merkinch 43 Muirtown Muirtown 48 Old Edinburgh Old Edinburgh 50 Raigmore Raigmore 41 Scorguie Scorguie 35 Milton Milton 35 Strathnairn and Strathdearn Strathnairn and Strathdearn
Lochaber wards The Lochaber management area consisted of eight wards:
No Ward Name term references 66 Ardnamurchan and Morvern Ardnamurchan and Morvern 68 Caol Caol 70 Claggan and Glen Spean Claggan and Glen Spean 71 Fort William South Fort William 72 Glencoe and Nether Lochaber Glencoe and Nether Lochaber 67 Kilmallie and Invergarry Kilmallie and Invergarry 65 Mallaig and the Small Isles Mallaig and the Small Isles 69 North Fort William and Inverlochy Fort William and Inverlochy
Nairn wards
The Nairn management area included the town of Nairn but was mostly rural. It consisted of five wards:
No Ward Name term references 56 Auldearn Auldearn 57 Cawdor Cawdor 54 East Nairn Nairn 58 North Nairn 58 West Nairn
Ross and Cromarty wards The Ross and Cromarty management area consisted of 13 wards:
No Ward Name term references 27 Alness and Ardross Alness and Ardross 25 Black Isle East Black Isle 26 Black Isle West 29 Dingwall Dingwall 23 Fearn Hill of Fearn 33 Gairloch and Garve Gairloch and Garve 24 Invergordon Invergordon 22 Tain Tain 28 Ferindonald Ferindonald 32 Lochbroom Lochbroom 34 Lochcarron Lochcarron 31 Maryburgh Maryburgh 30 Ord and Connon Muir of Ord, Conon Bridge and the River Conon
Skye and Lochalsh wards
The Skye and Lochalsh management area included the islands of Skye, Raasay and Scalpay, the village of Kyle of Lochalsh on the mainland, and a rural area to the east of Kyle of Lochalsh. It consisted of six wards:
No Ward Name term references 18 Broadford Broadford, Isle of Skye 21 Dunvegan Dunvegan 17 Kyle and Sleat Kyle and Sleat 16 Lochalsh Lochalsh 19 Portree Portree 20 Staffin Staffin
Sutherland wards The Sutherland management area consisted of seven wards:
No Ward Name term references 10 Ardgay and Bonar Bridge Ardgay and Bonar Bridge 15 Brora and Kildonan Brora and Kildonan 11 Central Sutherland Sutherland 9 Dornoch Dornoch 14 Golspie Golspie 12 North West Sutherland Sutherland 13 Tongue and Farr Tongue and Farr
See also Politics of the Highland council area
Notes and references