Highland Council wards 1999 to 2007


The second set of Highland Council wards, 80 in number, became effective for election purposes in 1999, for the second general election of the Highland Council, and were used also for the third general election in 2003. These wards replaced 72 older wards, and were themselves replaced by a set of 22 wards for the fourth general election in 2007.
The Highland Council 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 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 and 1999 to 2007, each ward elected one councillor by the first past the post system. In 2007, this arrangement was replaced with one of multi-member wards, each electing three or four councillors by the single transferable vote system, to produce a form of proportional representation.
The wards used from 1995 to 1999 had been 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.
In 2007, the management areas were replaced with three new corporate management areas, each consisting of a whole number of the new multi-member wards.

Lists of wards, 1999 to 2007

Wards are listed by management area to which linked for area committee purposes.

Badenoch and Strathspey wards

There were five wards related to the Badenoch and Strathspey management area:
WardDescription
Badenoch EastIncluded parts of the villages of Aviemore and Kingussie
Badenoch WestIncluded the village of Newtonmore and part of the village of Kingussie
Grantown on SpeyIncluded the town of Grantown on Spey
Strathspey North EastA rural area around the town of Grantown on Spey
Strathspey SouthIncluded part of the village of Aviemore

Caithness wards

There were 10 wards related to the Caithness management area:
WardDescription
Caithness CentralIncluded the village of Halkirk
Caithness North EastIncluded the villages of Dunnet and John o' Groats
Caithness North WestIncluded the village of Castletown
Caithness South EastIncluded the village of Lybster
PultneytownIncluded the Pultneytown area of the town of Wick
Thurso CentralPart of the town of Thurso
Thurso EastPart of the town of Thurso
Thurso WestPart of the town of Thurso
WickIncluded part of the town of Wick and a more rural area to the north
Wick WestIncluded part of the town of Wick

Inverness wards

The management area included Loch Ness, Strathglass and the former royal burgh of Inverness.
Inverness was granted city status in 2001 and the Highland Council then used the 'city' title in reference to the Inverness management area. Letters patent refer, however, to the 'Town of Inverness' and, although there is a former 'royal burgh' which had defined boundaries, there is no 'town' with such boundaries.
'Urban Inverness', below, refers to the area centred on the former royal burgh and generally urban in character during the 1999 to 2007 period.
There were 23 wards related to the management area:
WardDescription
Ardersier, Croy and PettyA rural area to the east of urban Inverness
Included Fort George, Inverness Airport, and the village of Ardersier.
BallifearyThe Ballifeary and Bught areas of western urban Inverness.
BallochThe Balloch and southern Culloden areas to the east of urban Inverness.
Beauly and StrathglassA rural area to the far west of the management area.
Included Strathglass and Glen Affric, and the villages of Beauly and Cannich.
CanalThe Dalneigh and Muirtown areas of western urban Inverness.
CulduthelThe Culduthel and Castle Heather areas in southern urban Inverness, and the rural Slackbuie area further south.
CullodenThe Seafield and northern Culloden area to the east of urban Inverness.
CrownThe Crown area in central urban Inverness.
DrumossieThe urban Cradlehall area east of Inverness, and the rural Drumossie district to its south.
Included the villages of Daviot, Moy, and Tomatin.
HiltonThe New Hilton area in southern urban Inverness.
InshesThe Culcabock and Drakies areas in eastern urban Inverness, and the Inshes and Milton of Leys areas to their south.
Inverness CentralThe City Centre, Haugh, and Longman areas of central and northern urban Inverness.
Inverness WestThe Kinmylies, Leachkin, and Torvean areas of western urban Inverness, and the rural area to the south-west.
Included the villages of Dochgarroch and Lochend.
KirkhillThe Clachnaharry area in north-western urban Inverness and the rural Aird district to the west.
Included the villages of Kirkhill and Kiltarlity.
LochardilThe Drummond and Lochardil areas in southern urban Inverness.
Loch Ness EastA rural area to the east of Loch Ness.
Included the villages of Dores and Foyers.
Loch Ness WestA rural Glen Urquhart and Glen Moriston areas to the west of Loch Ness.
Included the villages of Drumnadrochit and Fort Augustus.
MerkinchThe South Kessock and northern Merkinch areas in north-western urban Inverness.
MiltonThe Milton and Old Hilton areas of southern urban Inverness.
MuirtownThe Carse and southern Merkinch areas of western urban Inverness.
RaigmoreThe Raigmore area in eastern urban Inverness.
ScorguieThe Scorguie area in the western urban Inverness.
Westhill and SmithtonThe Westhill and Smithton areas east of urban Inverness.

Lochaber wards

There were eight wards related the Lochaber management area:
WardDescription
Ardnamurchan and MorvernIncluded the Ardnamurchan and Morvern peninsulas and the village of Acharacle
CaolCaol area of Fort William
Claggan and Glen SpeanIncluded the village of Spean Bridge
Fort William NorthPart of Fort William
Fort William SouthPart of Fort William and a more rural area to the south
GlencoeIncluded the village of Kinlochleven
Kilmallie and InvergaryIncluded Loch Lochy
Mallaig and Small IslesIncluded the town of Mallaig and the Small Isles

Nairn wards

The Nairn management area was mostly rural.
Ward boundaries radiated from the town of Nairn, dividing the town between all four wards:
WardDescription
Nairn AlltanThe north-western part of the town and an area further west
Nairn AuldearnThe south-eastern part of the town, and the rural southern area of the management area
Included the villages of Auldearn and Piperhill
Nairn CawdorThe Tradespark area in the south-west of the town, and the rural area further south-west
Included the village of Cawdor
Nairn NinianThe central Fishertown and Town Centre areas of the town, and a rural area to the east

Ross and Cromarty wards

There were 18 wards related to the Ross and Cromarty management area:
WardDescription
Alness and ArdrossIncluded the town of Alness and the village of Ardross
Avoch and FortrosePart of the Black Isle, with coastline along the Moray Firth
Includes the villages of Avoch and Fortrose
Black Isle NorthPart of the Black Isle, with coastline along the Cromarty Firth
Includes the village of Cromarty
Conon and MaryburghIncluded the village of Conon Bridge
Dingwall NorthIncludes part of the town of Dingwall
Dingwall SouthIncluded part of the town of Dingwall
FerindonaldHad coastline on the north side of the Cromarty Firth, between Dingwall and Alness
GairlochIncluded the village of Gairloch
InvergordonIncludes the town of Invergordon
Knockbain and KillearnanPart of the Black Isle, with coastline along the Beauly Firth and the Moray Firth
Included the village of Munlochy and North Kessock
LochbroomIncluded the town of Ullapool
LochcarronIncluded the village of Lochcarron
Muir of OrdIncluded the village of Muir of Ord
Rosskeen and SaltburnHad coastline on the north side of the Cromarty Firth, east of Alness
SeaboardIncluded the Seaboard Villages
Strathpeffer and StrathcononIncluded the village of Strathpeffer and upper Strathconon
Tain EastIncluded part of the town of Tain
Tain WestIncluded part of the town of Tain

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. There were six wards related to the Skye and Lochalsh area:
WardDescription
KinlochshielA mainland area, east of the village of Kyle of Lochalsh
Kyle and SleatIncluded the villages of Kyle of Lochalsh, on the mainland, and Kyleakin, on the Isle of Skye, and the Sleat peninsular of the Isle of Skye
PortreeIncluded the town of Portree, on the Isle of Skye
Skye CentralIncluded the town of Broadford, one the Isle of Skye, and the islands of Raasay and Scalpay
Skye WestIncluded the village of Dunvegan, on the Isle of Skye
Snizort and TrotternishTrotternish peninsular, north of Portree, on the Isle of Skye
Included the village of Uig

Sutherland wards

There were six wards related to the Sutherland management area:
WardTowns and villages
BroraIncluded the town of Brora
Dornoch FirthAreas both sides of the Dornoch Firth
Included the town of Dornoch
Golspie and RogartIncluded the villages of Golspie and Rogart
Sutherland CentralIncluded the villages of Lairg and Bonar Bridge
Sutherland North WestIncluded the villages of Durness and Lochinver
Tongue and FarrIncluded the villages of Tongue, Farr, Bettyhill and Reay