District of burghs


The Act of Union 1707 and pre-Union Scottish legislation provided for 14 Members of Parliament from Scotland to be elected from districts of burghs. All the parliamentary burghs were assigned to a district, except for Edinburgh which had an MP to itself. The burghs in a district were not necessarily adjacent or even close together.
Until 1832 the Council of each burgh in a district elected a commissioner, who had one vote for the MP. The commissioner from the Returning Burgh had an additional casting vote if the numbers were equal.
The Scottish Reform Act 1832 amended the composition of the districts, and the boundaries of a burgh for parliamentary purposes ceased to be necessarily those of the burgh for other purposes. The franchise was extended, and votes from all the burghs were added together.
There were further changes to the number and the composition of the districts under the Representation of the People Act 1868, Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, and Representation of the People Act 1918.
The district of burghs system was eventually discontinued by the House of Commons Act 1949, but the term Burghs continued in use in the names of some constituencies until 1974.
The idea of parliamentary burghs continues to this day, in the form of burgh constituencies, which are distinct from county constituencies. This distinction is significant in terms of the expenses allowed to election candidates.

List of districts and burghs

Summary of districts and burghs by period

1708-1832
  1. Aberdeen Burghs
  2. Anstruther Easter Burghs
  3. Ayr Burghs
  4. Dumfries Burghs
  5. Dysart Burghs
  6. Elgin Burghs
  7. Glasgow Burghs
  8. Haddington Burghs
  9. Inverness Burghs
  10. Linlithgow Burghs
  11. Perth Burghs
  12. Stirling Burghs
  13. Tain Burghs
  14. Wigtown Burghs
1832-1868
  1. Ayr Burghs
  2. Dumfries Burghs
  3. Elgin Burghs
  4. Falkirk Burghs
  5. Haddington Burghs
  6. Inverness Burghs
  7. Kilmarnock Burghs
  8. Kirkcaldy Burghs
  9. Leith Burghs
  10. Montrose Burghs
  11. St Andrews Burghs
  12. Stirling Burghs
  13. Wick Burghs
  14. Wigtown Burghs
1868-1885
  1. Ayr Burghs
  2. Dumfries Burghs
  3. Elgin Burghs
  4. Falkirk Burghs
  5. Haddington Burghs
  6. Inverness Burghs
  7. Hawick Burghs
  8. Kilmarnock Burghs
  9. Kirkcaldy Burghs
  10. Leith Burghs
  11. Montrose Burghs
  12. St Andrews Burghs
  13. Stirling Burghs
  14. Wick Burghs
  15. Wigtown Burghs
1885-1918
  1. Ayr Burghs
  2. Dumfries Burghs
  3. Elgin Burghs
  4. Falkirk Burghs
  5. Hawick Burghs
  6. Inverness Burghs
  7. Kilmarnock Burghs
  8. Kirkcaldy Burghs
  9. Leith Burghs
  10. Montrose Burghs
  11. St Andrews Burghs
  12. Stirling Burghs
  13. Wick Burghs
1918-1950
  1. Ayr Burghs
  2. Dumbarton Burghs
  3. Dunfermline Burghs
  4. Kirkcaldy Burghs
  5. Montrose Burghs
  6. Stirling & Falkirk Burghs