The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict. c. 23) redefined the boundaries of English, Scottish and Welsh constituencies of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (at Westminster), and the new boundaries were first used in the 1885 general election. The boundaries of Irish constituencies were not affected.
1885 boundaries were used also in the general elections of 1886, 1892, 1895, 1900, 1906, January 1910 and December 1910.
In Scotland, as a result of the legislation, there were 32 burgh constituencies, 37 county constituencies and two university constituencies. Except for Dundee, which was a two-seat constituency, each Scottish constituency represented a seat for one Member of Parliament (MP). Therefore, Scotland had 72 MPs.
The 1885 legislation detailed boundary changes but did not detail boundaries for all constituencies. For a complete picture of boundaries in Scotland, it has to be read in conjunction with the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832 and the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1868.AsBoundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972 (), F. W. S. Craig, 1972
In Scotland, constituencies related nominally to counties and burghs, but boundaries for parliamentary purposes were not necessarily those for other purposes. Also, county boundaries were altered by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 and by later related legislation. The Representation of the People Act 1918 redefined constituency boundaries in relation to new local government boundaries, and these newer constituency boundaries were first used in the 1918 general election.
Burgh constituencies
Parliamentary burghNominal contents of parliamentary burghConstituency or constituencies Aberdeen In county of Aberdeen: burgh of Aberdeen Aberdeen North Aberdeen South Ayr District of Burghs In county of Ayr : burghs of Ayr and Irvine In county of Argyll: burghs of Campbeltown, Inverary, and Oban Ayr District of Burghs Dumfries District of Burghs In county of Dumfries: burghs of Annan, Dumfries, Lochmaben and Sanquhar In county of Kirkcudbright: burgh of Kirkcudbright. Dumfries District of Burghs Dundee In county of Forfar: burgh of Dundee Dundee Elected two MPs Edinburgh In county of Edinburgh: burgh of Edinburgh Edinburgh Central Edinburgh East Edinburgh South Edinburgh West Elgin District of Burghs In county of Elgin: burgh of Elgin In county of Banff: burghs of Cullen and Banff In county of Aberdeen: burghs of Inverurie, Kintore, and Peterhead Elgin District of Burghs Falkirk District of Burghs In county of Lanark: burghs of Airdrie, Hamilton, and Lanark In county of Linlithgow: burgh of Linlithgow In county of Stirling: burgh of Falkirk Falkirk District of Burghs Glasgow In county of Lanark: burgh of Glasgow Glasgow Blackfriars and HutchesontownGlasgow BridgetonGlasgow CamlachieGlasgow CentralGlasgow CollegeGlasgow St RolloxGlasgow Tradeston Govan In county of Lanark: burgh of Govan Govan Greenock In county of Renfrew: burgh of Greenock Greenock Hawick District of Burghs In county of Roxburgh: burgh of Hawick In county of Selkirk burghs of Galashiels and Selkirk Hawick District of Burghs Inverness District of Burghs In county of Elgin: burgh of Forres In county of Inverness: burgh of Inverness In county of Nairn: burgh of Nairn In county of Ross: burgh of Fortrose Inverness District of Burghs Kilmarnock District of Burghs In county of Ayr: burgh of Kilmarnock In county of Dumbarton: burgh of Dumbarton In the county of Lanark: burgh of Rutherglen In the county of Renfrew: burghs of Renfrew and Port Glasgow Kilmarnock District of Burghs Kirkcaldy District of Burghs In county of Fife: burghs of Burntisland, Dysart, Kinghorn and Kirkcaldy Kirkcaldy District of Burghs Leith District of Burghs In county of Edinburgh: burghs of Leith, Musselburgh, and Portobello Leith District of Burghs Montrose District of Burghs In county of Forfar: burghs of Arbroath, Brechin, Forfar, and Montrose In county of Kincardine: burgh of Inverbervie Montrose District of Burghs Paisley In county of Renfrew: burgh of Paisley Paisley Partick In county of Lanark: burgh of Partick Partick Perth In county of Perth: burgh of Perth Perth St Andrews District of Burghs In county of Fife: burghs of St Andrews, Anstruther Easter, Anstruther Wester, Crail, Cupar, Kilrenny and Pittenweem St Andrews District of Burghs Stirling District of Burghs In county of Fife: burghs of Dunfermline and InverkeithingIn county of Linlithgow: burgh of South Queensferry In county of Perth: burgh of Culross In county of Stirling: burgh of Stirling Stirling District of Burghs Wick District of Burghs In county of Caithness: burgh of Wick In county of Cromarty: burgh of Cromarty In county of Orkney: burgh of Kirkwall In county of Ross: burghs of Dingwall and Tain In county of Sutherland: burgh of Dornoch Wick District of Burghs
County constituencies
Parliamentary countyNominal contents of parliamentary countyConstituency or constituencies Aberdeen County of Aberdeen Excluded burghs of Aberdeen, Inverurie, Kintore, and PeterheadEastern AberdeenshireWestern Aberdeenshire Argyll County of Argyll Excluded burgh of Oban Argyllshire Ayr County of Ayr Excluded burghs of Ayr, Irvine, and Kilmarnock North Ayrshire South Ayrshire Banff County of Banff Excluded burghs of Banff and Cullen Banffshire Berwick County of Berwick Berwickshire Bute County of Bute Buteshire Caithness County of Caithness Excluded burgh of Wick Caithness Clackmannan and Kinross County of Clackmannan and county of Kinross Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire Dumfries County of Dumfries Excluded burghs of Annan, Dumfries, Lochmaben, and Sanquhar Dumfriesshire Dumbarton County of Dumbarton Excluded burgh of Dumbarton Dumbartonshire Edinburgh County of Edinburgh Excluded burghs of Edinburgh, Leith, Musselburgh, and Portobello Edinburghshire Elgin and Nairn County of Elgin and county of Nairn Excluded burgh of Elgin, Forres, and Nairn Elginshire and Nairnshire Fife County of Fife Excluded burghs of Anstruther Easter, Anstruther Wester, Burntisland, Crail, Culross, Dunfermline, Dysart, Inverkeithing, Kilrenny, Kinghorn, Kirkcaldy, and Pittenweem East Fife West Fife Forfar County of Forfar Excluded burghs of Arbroath, Brechin, Dundee, Forfar, and Montrose Forfarshire Haddington County of Haddington Haddingtonshire Inverness County of Inverness Excluded burgh of Inverness Inverness-shire Kirkcudbright County of Kirkcudbright Excluded burghs of Kirkcudbright and New Galloway Kirkcudbrightshire Kincardine County of Kincardine Excluded burgh of Inverbervie Kincardineshire Lanark County of Lanark Excluded burghs of Airdrie, Glasgow, Govan, Lanark, Partick, Rutherglen, and Hamilton Mid Lanarkshire North East Lanarkshire North West Lanarkshire South Lanarkshire Linlithgow County of Linlithgow Excluded burghs of Linlithgow and South Queensferry Linlithgowshire Orkney and Zetland County of Orkney and county of Zetland Excluded burgh of Kirkwall Orkney and Zetland Peebles and Selkirk County of Peebles and county of Selkirk Excluded burghs of Galashiels and Selkirk Peebles and Selkirk Perth County of Perth Excluded burgh of Perth East Perthshire West Perthshire Renfrew County of Renfrew Excluded burghs of Paisley, Port Glasgow, and Renfrew East Renfrewshire West Renfrewshire Ross and Cromarty County of Ross and county of Cromarty Excluded burghs of Cromarty, Dingwall, Fortrose, and Tain Ross and Cromarty Roxburgh County of Roxburgh Excluded burgh of Hawick Roxburghshire Stirling County of Stirling Excluded burghs of Falkirk and Stirling Stirlingshire Sutherland County of Sutherland Excluded burgh of Dornoch Sutherland Wigtown County of Wigtown Wigtownshire
University constituencies
ConstituencyContents Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities Universities of Edinburgh and St Andrews Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities Universities of Glasgow and Aberdeen
See also
List of UK Parliamentary constituencies (1885-1918)
Notes and references