Scottish Westminster constituencies 1708 to 1832

Last updated

Overview
1708 to 1832
1832 to 1868
1868 to 1885
1885 to 1918
1918 to 1950
1950 to 1955
1955 to 1974
1974 to 1983
1983 to 1997
1997 to 2005
2005 to 2024
since 2024

As a result of the 1707 union of the Kingdom of Scotland with the Kingdom of England (including Wales) to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, within the newly formed Parliament of Great Britain, Scotland had 48 constituencies representing seats for 45 Members of Parliament (MPs) in the House of Commons, normally located at the Palace of Westminster. (Westminster being the meeting place for the former Parliament of England).

Contents

Scottish Westminster constituencies, 1707-1832. Scottish Constituencies 1707-1832.svg
Scottish Westminster constituencies, 1707–1832.

Scottish Westminster constituencies [1] were first used in the 1708 general election. Prior to that election Scotland was represented by MPs who were co-opted as commissioners of the former Parliament of Scotland.

In the Parliament of Great Britain, Scotland had 15 burgh constituencies and 33 county constituencies, with each representing a seat for one MP. The county constituencies included, however, three pairs of alternating constituencies, so that only one member of a pair was represented at any one time. Therefore, Scotland had more constituencies than seats. With the exception of Edinburgh, the burgh constituencies were districts of burghs.

1708 boundaries were used for all subsequent election of the Parliament of Great Britain.

In 1801 the Parliament of Ireland was merged with the Parliament of Great Britain to form the Parliament of the United Kingdom, also at Westminster. The first general election of the new parliament was the general election of 1802, and there was no change to the boundaries of any pre-existing Westminster constituency.

1802 boundaries were used also in the general elections of 1806, 1807, 1812, 1818, 1820, 1826, 1830 and 1831.

For the 1832 general election, Scottish Westminster constituencies were redefined by the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832.

Burgh constituencies

ConstituencyContents
Aberdeen District In county of Aberdeen: burgh of Aberdeen
In county of Forfar: burghs of Arbroath, Brechin, and Montrose
In county of Kincardine: burgh of Inverbervie
Anstruther District In county of Fife: burghs of Anstruther Easter, Anstruther Wester, Crail, Kilrenny, and Pittenweem
Ayr District In county of Ayr: burghs of Ayr and Irvine
In county of Argyll: burghs of Campbeltown and Inverary
In county of Bute: burgh of Rothesay
Dumfries District In county of Dumfries: burghs of Annan, Dumfries, Lochmaben, and Sanquhar
In county of Kirkcudbright: burgh of Kirkcudbright
Dysart District In county of Fife: burghs of Kirkcaldy, Burntisland, Dysart, and Kinghorn
Edinburgh In county of Edinburgh: burgh of Edinburgh
Elgin District In county of Aberdeen: burghs of Inverurie and Kintore
In county of Banff: burgh of Banff
In county of Elgin: burghs of Elgin and Cullen
Glasgow District In county of Dumbarton: burgh of Dumbarton
In county of Lanark: burghs of Glasgow and Rutherglen
In county of Renfrew: burgh of Renfrew
Haddington District In county of Berwick: burgh of Lauder
In county of Haddington burghs of Dunbar, Haddington, and North Berwick
In county of Roxburgh: burgh of Jedburgh
Inverness District In county of Elgin: burgh of Forres
In county of Inverness: burgh of Inverness
In county of Nairn: burgh of Nairn
In county of Ross: burgh of Fortrose
Linlithgow District In county of Lanark: burgh of Lanark
In county of Linlithgow: burgh of Linlithgow
In county of Peebles: burgh of Peebles
In county of Selkirk: burgh of Selkirk
Perth District In county of Fife: burghs of Cupar and St Andrews
In county of Forfar: burghs of Dundee and Forfar
In county of Perth: burgh of Perth
Stirling District In county of Fife: burghs of Dunfermline and Inverkeithing
In county of Linlithgow: burgh of Queensferry
In county of Perth: burgh of Culross
In county of Stirling: burgh of Stirling
Tain District In county of Caithness: burgh of Wick
In county of Orkney: burgh of Kirkwall
In county of Sutherland: burgh of Dornoch
In county of Ross: burghs of Dingwall and Tain
Wigtown District In county of Wigtown: burghs of New Galloway, Stranraer, Wigtown, and Whithorn

County constituencies

ConstituencyContents
Aberdeenshire County of Aberdeen except burghs of Aberdeen, Inverurie, and Kintore
Argyll County of Argyll except burghs of Campbeltown and Inverary
Ayrshire County of Ayr except burghs of Ayr and Irvine
Banffshire County of Banff except burgh of Banff
Berwickshire County of Berwick except burgh of Lauder
Buteshire
Alternated with Caithness
County of Bute except burgh of Rothesay
Caithness
Alternated with Buteshire
County of Caithness except burgh of Wick
Clackmannanshire
Alternated with Kinross-shire
County of Clackmannan
Cromartyshire
Alternated with Nairnshire
County of Cromarty
Dumbartonshire County of Dumbarton except burgh of Dumbarton
Dumfriesshire County of Dumfries except burghs of Dumfries, Annan, Lochmaben, and Sanquhar
Edinburghshire County of Edinburgh except burgh of Edinburgh
Elginshire County of Elgin except burghs of Elgin, Forres, and Cullen
Fife County of Fife except burghs of Anstruther Easter, Anstruther Wester, Burntisland, Cupar, Crail, Dysart, Dunfermline, Inverkeithing, Kinghorn, Kirkcaldy, Pittenweem, Kilrenny, and St Andrews
Forfarshire County of Forfar except burghs of Dundee, Forfar, Montrose, Brechin, and Arbroath
Haddingtonshire County of Haddington except burghs of Dunbar, Haddington, and North Berwick
Inverness-shire County of Inverness except burgh of Inverness
Kincardineshire County of Kincardine except burgh of Inverbervie
Kinross-shire
Alternated with Clackmannanshire
County of Kinross
Kirkcudbrightshire County of Kirkcudbright except burgh of Kirkcudbright
Lanarkshire County of Lanark except burghs of Glasgow, Lanark, and Rutherglen
Linlithgowshire County of Linlithgow except burghs of Linlithgow and Queensferry
Nairnshire
Alternated with Cromartyshire
County of Nairn except burgh of Nairn
Orkney and Zetland County of Orkney except burgh of Kirkwall
and county of Zetland
Peeblesshire County of Peebles except burgh of Peebles
Perthshire County of Perth except burghs of Culross and Perth
Renfrewshire County of Renfrew except burgh of Renfrew
Ross-shire County of Ross except burghs of Dingwall, Fortrose, and Tain
Roxburghshire County of Roxburgh except burgh of Jedburgh
Selkirkshire County of Selkirk except burgh of Selkirk
Stirlingshire County of Stirling except burgh of Stirling
Sutherland County of Sutherland except burgh of Dornoch
Wigtownshire County of Wigtown except burghs of New Galloway, Stranraer, Wigtown, and Whithorn

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Aberdeenshire was a Scottish county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until 1868.

Edinburghshire was a Scottish county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918.

Forfarshire was a Scottish county constituency represented in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 until 1800, and then in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom until 1950.

Inverness Burghs was a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP).

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Caithness was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918.

Buteshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918.

Dysart Burghs was a district of burghs 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).

Tain Burghs was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832, sometimes known as Northern Burghs. It was represented by one Member of Parliament (MP).

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Multi-member constituencies existed in the Parliament of the United Kingdom and its predecessor bodies in the component parts of the United Kingdom from the earliest era of elected representation until they were abolished by the Representation of the People Act 1948. Since the 1950 general election, all members of the House of Commons have been elected from single-member constituencies.

Lanark Burghs was a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1708 to 1832, representing a seat for one Member of Parliament (MP).

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 redefined the boundaries of English, Scottish and Welsh constituencies of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and the new boundaries were first used in the 1885 general election. The boundaries of Irish constituencies were not affected.

The Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1868 redefined the boundaries of Scottish constituencies of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and the new boundaries were first used in the 1868 general election.

References

  1. As set out in Section XII of the Union with Scotland Act, 1706