Ettrick and Lauderdale

Ettrick and Lauderdale (Eadaraig agus Srath Labhdair in Scottish Gaelic) was one of four local government districts in the Borders region of Scotland as well as a lieutenancy area from 1975 to 1996.

For the two settlements in Otago, New Zealand, see Ettrick, New Zealand and Lauder, New Zealand.

Ettrick and Lauderdale
District

Council Chambers, Paton Street, Galashiels
Coat of arms

History
 • Created16 May 1975
 • Abolished31 March 1996
 • Succeeded byScottish Borders
 • HQGalashiels
Contained within
 • RegionBorders

History

The district was created on 16 May 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which established a two-tier structure of local government across Scotland comprising upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. Ettrick and Lauderdale was one of four districts created within the Borders region. The district covered the whole of the historic county of Selkirkshire and parts of the neighbouring counties of Berwickshire, Midlothian, and Roxburghshire. The new district covered all of six former districts and parts of another three districts, which were all abolished at the same time:[1][2]

From Selkirkshire:

From Berwickshire:

From Midlothian:

  • Gala Water District (part, being the parishes of Heriot and Stow)

From Roxburghshire:

The new district was named after Ettrick Forest (which was also an old alternative name for Selkirkshire), and Lauderdale, being the valley of the Leader Water (roughly corresponding to the area gained from Berwickshire). For lieutenancy purposes, the last lord-lieutenant of the county of Selkirkshire was made lord-lieutenant for the new district when the reforms came into effect in 1975.[3]

In 1989 the district was enlarged by the addition of a small area around the hamlet of Brothershiels from the neighbouring district of Midlothian.[4] The district had an estimated population of 35,490 in 1994.[5]

The Borders region and its four districts were abolished in 1996, merging to form the present Scottish Borders council area.[6] A new lieutenancy area was created at the same time, called Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale, covering the combined area of the abolished districts of Ettrick and Lauderdale and neighbouring Roxburgh.[7]

The former district's name is still used in a variety of contexts:

Political control

The first election to the district council was held in 1974, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 16 May 1975. Throughout the council's existence a majority of the seats were held by independents:[10]

Party in controlYears
Independent1975–1996

The last leader of the council, Drew Tulley, went on to be first leader of Scottish Borders Council after the 1996 reforms.[11]

Premises

The district council was based at the Council Chambers on Albert Place in Galashiels. The building had originally been built in 1867 as the Burgh Chambers for the old Galashiels Town Council, with a large clock tower added in 1924–1927 which incorporates the town's war memorial. A modern extension was added to the rear of the building along Paton Street for the district council in 1976.[12][13] Since the district council's abolition in 1996 the building has been an area office for Scottish Borders Council.[14]

See also

References
  1. "Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1973 c. 65, retrieved 22 November 2022
  2. "Boundaries viewer". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  3. "The Lord-Lieutenants Order 1975", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1975/428, retrieved 27 November 2022
  4. "The Lothian and Borders Regions and Midlothian and Ettrick and Lauderdale Districts (Brothershiels) Boundaries Amendment Order 1989", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1989/235, retrieved 17 December 2022
  5. House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 18 Mar 1996
  6. "Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1994 c. 39, retrieved 16 December 2022
  7. "The Lord-Lieutenants (Scotland) Order 1996", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1996/731, retrieved 16 December 2022
  8. "Scottish Borders - Ettrick and Lauderdale Division (District Courts Association)". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 21 January 2007.
  9. Ettrick and Lauderdale Sports Council Archived 2007-02-16 at the Wayback Machine
  10. "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  11. Janiak, Kevin (30 November 2020). "Drew gave 'total commitment'". Southern Reporter. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  12. Historic Environment Scotland. "Burgh Chambers and Clock Tower, including war memorials, ballustrading and steps (Category B Listed Building) (LB31977)". Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  13. "No. 22857". The Edinburgh Gazette. 2 November 1990. p. 2176.
  14. "Galashiels Contact Centre". Scottish Borders Council. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
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