Local government in Scotland comprises thirty-two local authorities, commonly referred to as councils. Each council provides public services, including education, social care, waste management, libraries and planning. Councils receive the majority of their funding from the Scottish Government, but operate independently and are accountable to their local electorates. Councils raise additional income via the Council Tax, a locally variable domestic property tax, and Business rates, a non-domestic property tax.
The City of Edinburgh Council is the local government authority covering the City of Edinburgh council area. Almost half of the council area is the area of Edinburgh, capital of Scotland. With a population of 526,470 in mid-2019, it is the second most populous local authority area in Scotland.
The elections to the City of Edinburgh Council were held on Thursday 4 May 2017, on the same day as the 31 other local authorities in Scotland. It was the third successive Local Council election to run under the single transferable vote (STV) electoral system.
The City of Glasgow is divided into a number of wards. These electoral districts, as they are also known, are used to elect councillors to Glasgow City Council. The council, composed of the elected members from each ward, provides local government services to the City of Glasgow.
Pentland Hills is one of the seventeen wards used to elect members of the City of Edinburgh Council. Established in 2007 along with the other wards, it mainly covers the villages and suburban developments in the south-west hinterland beyond the A720 Edinburgh city bypass road, up to the boundaries with West Lothian, Midlothian and a small border with the Scottish Borders at the edge of the Pentland Hills.
Drum Brae/Gyle is one of the seventeen wards used to elect members of the City of Edinburgh Council. Established in 2007 along with the other wards, it currently elects three Councillors.
Forth is one of the seventeen wards used to elect members of the City of Edinburgh Council. Established in 2007 along with the other wards, it currently elects four Councillors. Its territory covers communities in the north of the city between Ferry Road and the coast on the Firth of Forth, including Granton, Newhaven, Pilton, Trinity, Victoria Park and Wardie, some of which historically fell within the boundaries of Leith. A 2017 boundary change caused the loss of the Muirhouse neighbourhood, but housebuilding elsewhere meant the overall population increased slightly. In 2019, the ward had a population of 31,823.
Inverleith is one of the seventeen wards used to elect members of the City of Edinburgh Council. Established in 2007 along with the other wards, it currently elects four Councillors.
Corstorphine/Murrayfield is one of the seventeen wards used to elect members of the City of Edinburgh Council. Established in 2007 along with the other wards, it currently elects three Councillors.
Sighthill/Gorgie is one of the seventeen wards used to elect members of the City of Edinburgh Council, established in 2007 along with the other wards. Its territory comprises a corridor of land in the west of the city with a northern boundary formed by the railway lines between the Haymarket and Edinburgh Park stations, encompassing the Broomhouse, Dalry, Gorgie, Longstone, Parkhead, Saughton, Sighthill and Stenhouse neighbourhoods. It elects four Councillors. In 2019, the ward had a population of 33,826.
Colinton/Fairmilehead is one of the seventeen wards used to elect members of the City of Edinburgh Council. Established in 2007 along with the other wards, it elects three Councillors.
Morningside is one of the seventeen wards used to elect members of the City of Edinburgh Council. Established in 2007 along with the other wards, it elects four Councillors. As its name suggests, the ward's territory is based around the community of Morningside to the south of the city centre, also including Braid Hills, Bruntsfield, Burghmuirhead, Greenbank, Greenhill, Marchmont, Merchiston and Polwarth.
Leith Walk is one of the seventeen wards used to elect members of the City of Edinburgh Council. Established in 2007 along with the other wards, it currently elects four councillors. Its territory spans the area between Edinburgh city centre and the port of Leith to its north-east, centred around Leith Walk, the primary thoroughfare between them.
Leith is one of the seventeen wards used to elect members of the City of Edinburgh Council. Established in 2007 along with the other wards, it currently elects three councillors.
Craigentinny/Duddingston is one of the seventeen wards used to elect members of the City of Edinburgh Council. Established in 2007 along with the other wards, it currently elects four Councillors.
Southside/Newington is one of the seventeen wards used to elect members of the City of Edinburgh Council. Established in 2007 along with the other wards, it elects four Councillors. As its name suggests, the ward's territory to the south-east of the city centre is based around the communities of Newington and the South Side, also including Blackford, Cameron Toll, The Grange, Mayfield, Prestonfield and Sciennes.
Liberton/Gilmerton is one of the seventeen wards used to elect members of the City of Edinburgh Council. Established in 2007 along with the other wards, it elects four Councillors.
Portobello/Craigmillar is one of the seventeen wards used to elect members of the City of Edinburgh Council. Established in 2007 along with the other wards, it elects four Councillors.
City Centre is one of the seventeen wards used to elect members of the City of Edinburgh Council. Established in 2007 along with the other wards, it elects four Councillors. As its name suggests, the ward's territory is based around a compact area in the centre of Edinburgh, including Calton Hill, the Canongate, Haymarket, Lauriston, the New Town, the Old Town, West Coates and the West End. A minor 2017 boundary change saw the loss of Abbeyhill and the gain of Tollcross and Dumbiedykes, but the overall population rose considerably and one further representative was added. In 2019, the ward had a population of 32,410.
Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart is one of the 17 wards of the City of Edinburgh Council. It elects three councillors. Established in 2007 along with the other wards, it covers a compact suburban area south-west of the centre of Edinburgh including the Chesser, Craiglockhart, Greenbank Village, Hutchison, Kingsknowe and Slateford neighbourhoods, and a thin, densely populated corridor leading towards the centre taking in Fountainbridge and North Merchiston / Shandon. In 2019, the ward had a population of 23,715.
