The County of Nairn, or Nairnshire, (Scottish Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Narann) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. The county was named after Nairn, its only town. The county was used for local government until 1975 when the area was redesignated as the Nairn District, one of the eight districts of the two-tier Highlandregion. Nairn district was abolished in 1996 when Highland became a single-tier council area.
The county borders Inverness-shire to the west and south, Moray to the east, and has a coastline along the Moray Firth to its north.
History
The area that would become Nairnshire was anciently part of the Province of Moray, ruled by the Earls or Mormaers of Moray, sometimes as a vassal of the Scottish crown, and at other times as a separate kingdom. The province was finally absorbed into the Kingdom of Scotland during the 12th century.[1] In order to secure the Scottish crown's authority over the area, it was divided into shires, being areas administered by a sheriff. The old province of Moray was broadly split into the three shires of Elginshire, Nairnshire, and the mainland parts of Inverness-shire.[2]
It is not known exactly when the shire of Nairn, administered by the Sheriff of Nairn, was created; there is some evidence that the area was initially included in Inverness-shire, but from the reign of William the Lion (reigned 1165–1214) there was a separate shire of Nairn.[3] There was also a short-lived shire to the east centred on Forres, which in the early 14th century was grouped with Nairn, before later being united instead with Elginshire.[4]
Over time, Scotland's shires became more significant than the old provinces, with more administrative functions being given to the sheriffs. In 1667 Commissioners of Supply were established for each shire, which would serve as the main administrative body for the area until the creation of county councils in 1890. Following the Acts of Union in 1707, the English term 'county' came to be used interchangeably with the older term 'shire'.[5]
Elected county councils were established in 1890 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, taking most of the functions of the commissioners (which were eventually abolished in 1930). Nairnshire County Council held its first meeting on 22 May 1890 at the Town and County Buildings in Nairn, the county's courthouse (built 1818) which also served as the meeting place for the commissioners and for the town council of the burgh of Nairn.[6][7]
County of Nairn, To 1891
The 1889 Act also led to a review of boundaries to eliminate exclaves. There were several such changes affecting the boundaries of Nairnshire, which had five detached parts: three small areas surrounded by Elginshire, a larger area of moorland at Dunmaglass surrounded by Inverness-shire, and the small village of Urquhart on the Black Isle, surrounded by Ross and Cromarty. Each of these areas was transferred to the county which surrounded them. Parish and county boundaries were also adjusted such that each parish was in a single county, with the exception of the parish of Croy and Dalcross, which was exceptionally allowed to continue to straddle Inverness-shire and Nairnshire. The boundary changes all took effect in 1891.[8][9]
In 1927 Nairnshire, along with many of Scotland's other counties, was granted a coat of arms by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the governor of Scotland's heraldry. The arms was as follows: Or, a chevron gules, between two water-bougets in chief and a stag's head cabossed in base sable, three mullets argent. The motto was "unite and be mindful".[10]
Nairnshire was the second least populous of the Scottish counties at the 1921 census, with fewer than 9,000 people.[11] Due to its low population, the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 combined the county councils of Nairnshire and neighbouring Moray (as Elginshire had been renamed in 1919) for most purposes in 1930. The two councils continued to be elected as separate bodies, but operated together as the "Joint County Council of Moray and Nairn", serving the combined area of the two counties.[12] Nairnshire County Council did perform some roles alone after 1930, notably acting as the district council for the parts of Nairnshire outside the burgh of Nairn.[13][14]
Local government was reformed in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which replaced Scotland's counties, burghs and landward districts with a two-tier structure of upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. A new Nairn district was created covering the same area as the pre-1975 county. Nairn District Council was a lower-tier district level authority subordinate to the Highland Regional Council.[15] A lieutenancy area covering the same area as the new district was created at the same time.[16] Throughout the district council's existence a majority of the seats were held by independents.[17] The district council met at the Town and County Buildings, as the old county council had done, with its offices in the adjoining building at 4 Courthouse Lane.[18][19]
Further local government reforms in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 saw the regions and districts created in 1975 abolished and replaced with single-tier council areas. The former Highland region became one of the new council areas.[20] The Nairn lieutenancy area continues to be defined as the pre-1996 district of Nairn.[21] The boundaries of the historic county of Nairnshire (as it was following the 1891 boundary changes) are still used for some limited official purposes connected with land registration, being a registration county.[22]
The Highland Council has a number of area committees for debating local matters. One of the committees is called the Nairnshire Committee, comprising the councillors who represent the Nairn and Cawdor ward, which broadly corresponds to the pre-1975 county.[23][24][25]
Nairnshire is about 22miles in length and 15miles in breadth (35×24km); comprising an area of 200 square miles (520km2), or 128,000 acres.[26] The county consists of a flattish coastal region where the vast majority of the population live, with a sparsely populated hilly interior, rising to the foothills of the Grampian Mountains in the south. These moorlands reach 634m (2,080ft) at Carn nam Bain-tighearna, on the county march (boundary) just east of Slochd summit on the A9. There is no old-established name for these heights, but they have been termed the "Nairnshire Hills".[27] The coast forms an arc shape, with the Whiteness Head peninsula in the west and The Bar peninsula in the east. The main rivers are the River Nairn and the Findhorn, which both follow deeply incised courses across the general slope northwards.[28] The chief bodies of water are Loch Loy, Cran Loch, Clunas Reservoir, Loch of Boath and Loch Kirkcaldy.
Civil parishes are still used for some statistical purposes, and separate census figures are published for them. As their areas have been largely unchanged since the 19th century this allows for comparison of population figures over an extended period of time.
The county consisted of the royal burgh of Nairn (chartered in 1476), the four parishes of Ardclach, Auldearn, Dyke & Moy and Nairn; and most of the parish of Cawdor (also known as Calder), and parts of those of: Croy & Dalcross; Moy & Dalarossie; Petty; and Urquhart & Logie Wester.[26][9][30]
↑ Jarman D (2017): Very long-term landscape evolution - a geomorphological contextual approach. In Merritt JW, Auton CA and Phillips E (eds) The Quaternary around Nairn and the Inverness Firth - Field Guide. Quaternary Research Association, London, 18-27
↑ Jarman D (2017): Very long-term landscape evolution - a geomorphological contextual approach. In Merritt JW, Auton CA and Phillips E (eds) The Quaternary around Nairn and the Inverness Firth - Field Guide. Quaternary Research Association, London, 18-27.
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south; it borders the counties of Inverness-shire and Aberdeenshire to the north, Angus to the east, Fife, Kinross-shire, Clackmannanshire, Stirlingshire and Dunbartonshire to the south and Argyllshire to the west.
Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in the United Kingdom. It was the 7th most populous council area in Scotland at the 2011 census. It has land borders with the council areas of Aberdeenshire, Argyll and Bute, Moray and Perth and Kinross. The wider upland area of the Scottish Highlands after which the council area is named extends beyond the Highland council area into all the neighbouring council areas plus Angus and Stirling.
Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland. Its council is based in Elgin, the area's largest town. The main towns are generally in the north of the area on the coastal plain. The south of the area is more sparsely populated and mountainous, including part of the Cairngorms National Park.
Lochaber is a name applied to a part of the Scottish Highlands. Historically, it was a provincial lordship consisting of the parishes of Kilmallie and Kilmonivaig. Lochaber once extended from the Northern shore of Loch Leven, a district called Nether Lochaber, to beyond Spean Bridge and Roybridge, which area is known as Brae Lochaber or Braigh Loch Abar in Gaelic. For local government purposes, the name was used for one of the landward districts of Inverness-shire from 1930 to 1975, and then for one of the districts of the Highland region from 1975 to 1996. Since 1996 the Highland Council has had a Lochaber area committee.
The Shires of Scotland, or Counties of Scotland, were historic subdivisions of Scotland.
Sutherland is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the Highlands of Scotland. The name dates from the Viking era when the area was ruled by the Jarl of Orkney; although Sutherland includes some of the northernmost land on the island of Great Britain, it was called Suðrland from the standpoint of Orkney and Caithness.
Nairn is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It is an ancient fishing port and market town around 17 miles (27 km) east of Inverness, at the point where the River Nairn enters the Moray Firth. It is the traditional county town of Nairnshire.
Ross and Cromarty, is an area in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. In modern usage, it is a registration county and a lieutenancy area. Between 1889 and 1975 it was a county.
Caithness is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland.
The County of Moray, or Morayshire, called Elginshire until 1919, is a historic county in Scotland. The county town was Elgin. The historic county ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975. Since 1996 most of the historic county's area has been included in the Moray council area. The historic county boundaries are still used for certain functions, being a registration county. There is also a Moray lieutenancy area, covering a slightly smaller area than the historic county. The historic county borders Nairnshire to the west, Inverness-shire to the south, and Banffshire to the east, and has a coast onto the Moray Firth to the north.
Banffshire is a historic county in Scotland. The county town is Banff, although the largest settlement is Buckie to the west. The historic county ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975. Since 1996 the area has been split between the Aberdeenshire and Moray council areas. The historic county boundaries of Banffshire are still used for certain functions, being a registration county and lieutenancy area.
Badenoch and Strathspey was a local government district, created in 1975 as one of eight districts within the Highland region in Scotland. The district was abolished in 1996 when Highland was made a single-tier council area. Since then, the Highland Council has had a Badenoch and Strathspey area committee covering the area.
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey was a constituency of the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. As with all seats since 1950 it elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.
Elginshire and Nairnshire was a county constituency in Scotland. From 1832 to 1918, it returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system.
Elginshire, in Scotland, was a county constituency of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) using the first-past-the-post voting system.
Ross-shire, or the County of Ross, was a county in the Scottish Highlands. It bordered Sutherland to the north and Inverness-shire to the south, as well as having a complex border with Cromartyshire, a county consisting of numerous enclaves or exclaves scattered throughout Ross-shire's territory. The mainland had a coast to the east onto the Moray Firth and a coast to the west onto the Minch. Ross-shire was named after and covered most of the ancient province of Ross, and also included the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. The county town was Dingwall.
The Highland Council is the local authority for Highland, one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. The council is based at the Highland Council Headquarters in Inverness.
Inverness-shire or the County of Inverness, is a historic county in Scotland. It is named after Inverness, its largest settlement, which was also the county town. Covering much of the Highlands and some of the Hebrides, it is Scotland's largest county by land area. It is generally rural and sparsely populated, containing only three towns which held burgh status, being Inverness, Fort William and Kingussie. The county is crossed by the Great Glen, which contains Loch Ness and separates the Grampian Mountains to the south-east from the Northwest Highlands. The county also includes Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in both Scotland and the United Kingdom.
Nairn Town and County Buildings is a municipal structure in the High Street, Nairn, Highland, Scotland. The structure, which is used as a service point for The Highland Council, is a Category B listed building.
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