Lieutenancy areas of Scotland


The lieutenancy areas of Scotland are the areas used for the ceremonial lord-lieutenants, the monarch's representatives, in Scotland. The lord-lieutenants' titles chosen by the monarch and her 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, lord lieutenants 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.

List

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 The regions and districts were themselves superseded on 1 April 1996, but the lieutenancy areas remain the same.
CountyLieutenancy titleFormer regionPart of the former region included
AberdeenAberdeenshireGrampianThe 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
BanffBanffshireGrampianthe county of Banff as existing before 16 May 1975
BerwickBerwickshireBordersDistrict of Berwickshire
CaithnessCaithnessHighlandDistrict of Caithness
ClackmannanClackmannan or ClackmannanshireCentralDistrict of Clackmannan
DumfriesDumfries or DumfriesshireDumfries and GallowayDistricts of Nithsdale and Annandale and Eskdale
DunbartonDunbartonshire StrathclydeDistricts of Dumbarton, Clydebank, Bearsden and Milngavie, Strathkelvin and Cumbernauld and Kilsyth
East LothianEast LothianLothianDistrict of East Lothian
FifeFifeFifeEntire Region
InvernessInverness or Inverness-shireHighlandDistricts of Lochaber, Inverness and Badenoch and Strathspey
KincardineKincardineshireGrampianThe county of Kincardine as existing before 16 May 1975, except that part in the City of Aberdeen
Kinross Perth and KinrossTaysideDistrict of Perth and Kinross
Stewartry of KirkcudbrightKirkcudbrightshire or Stewartry of KirkcudbrightDumfries and GallowayDistrict of Stewartry
LanarkshireLanarkshireStrathclydeDistricts of Monklands, Motherwell, Hamilton, East Kilbride and Lanark
MidlothianMidlothianLothianDistrict of Midlothian
MorayMorayshireGrampianSuch part of the county of Moray as existing before 16 May 1975 as lies within the Region
NairnNairnHighlandDistrict of Nairn
OrkneyOrkneyOrkney Islands AreaEntire area
PeeblesPeeblesshireBordersDistrict 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 or Roxburghshire BordersDistrict of Roxburgh
Selkirk Ettrick and Lauderdale BordersDistrict of Ettrick and Lauderdale
StirlingStirling and FalkirkCentralDistricts of Stirling and Falkirk
SutherlandSutherlandHighlandDistrict of Sutherland
West LothianWest LothianLothianDistrict of West Lothian
-Western IslesWestern Isles Islands AreaEntire area
WigtownWigtown or WigtownshireDumfries and GallowayDistrict of Wigtown
ZetlandShetlandShetland Islands AreaEntire area