List of civil parishes in Scotland
Context
From 1845 to 1930, parishes formed part of the local government system of Scotland: having parochial boards from 1845 to 1894, and parish councils from 1894 until 1930.
The parishes, which had their origins in the ecclesiastical parishes of the Church of Scotland, often overlapped county boundaries, largely because they reflected earlier territorial divisions.
In the early 1860s, many parishes which were physically detached from their county were re-allocated to the county by which they were surrounded; some border parishes were transferred to neighbouring counties. This affects the indexing of such things as birth, marriage, and death registrations and other records indexed by county. In 1891, there were further substantial changes to the areas of many parishes, as the boundary commission appointed under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 eliminated many anomalies, and assigned divided parishes to a single county.
Parishes have had no direct administrative function since 1930. In that year, all parishes and parts of parishes outside burghs (technically known as landward), were grouped into districts with elected district councils. These council districts were abolished in 1975, and the new local council authorities established in that year often cut across parish boundaries. In 1996, there was a further reorganisation of Scottish local government, and a number of civil parishes lie in two or more council areas. The counties and county place-names are retained for Land Registrations, Lieutenancy areas, Chambers of Commerce, and various community organizations, although their administrations were taken over by Regional Councils.
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.
There have been many variations in the spelling of some parish names over the historical period. In this list the names as used in the reports of the General Register Office for Scotland for the 2002 census are used.
List
Modern-day statistics of historic counties
This is determined from the above data.
Historic (1891) county | Number of civil parishes | Current population | Area (ha) | Area (km2) | Pop. density (/ha) | Pop. density (/km2) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aberdeenshire | 83 | 400,998 | 514,953 | 5,150 | 0.779 | 77.87 |
Argyllshire | 39 | 59,798 | 800,950 | 8,010 | 0.075 | 7.47 |
Ayrshire | 44 | 367,676 | 292,380 | 2,924 | 1.258 | 125.75 |
Banffshire | 22 | 46,057 | 164,860 | 1,649 | 0.279 | 27.94 |
Berwickshire | 32 | 26,249 | 121,751 | 1,218 | 0.216 | 21.56 |
Bute | 6 | 12,534 | 56,946 | 570 | 0.220 | 22.01 |
Caithness | 10 | 26,486 | 180,265 | 1,803 | 0.147 | 14.69 |
Clackmannanshire | 5 | 50,957 | 14,454 | 145 | 3.525 | 352.55 |
Dumfriesshire | 43 | 77,160 | 279,020 | 2,790 | 0.277 | 27.65 |
Dunbartonshire | 12 | 274,185 | 64,640 | 646 | 4.242 | 424.17 |
Fife | 60 | 365,198 | 132,488 | 1,325 | 2.756 | 275.65 |
Forfarshire | 53 | 264,258 | 227,531 | 2,275 | 1.161 | 116.14 |
Haddingtonshire | 24 | 74,882 | 65,808 | 658 | 1.138 | 113.79 |
Inverness-shire | 33 | 123,610 | 1,123,580 | 11,236 | 0.110 | 11.00 |
Kincardineshire | 19 | 57,305 | 96,280 | 963 | 0.595 | 59.52 |
Kinross-shire | 5 | 11,539 | 20,963 | 210 | 0.550 | 55.04 |
Kirkcudbrightshire | 28 | 47,546 | 233,784 | 2,338 | 0.203 | 20.34 |
Lanarkshire | 38 | 894,145 | 224,610 | 2,246 | 3.981 | 398.09 |
Linlithgowshire | 12 | 188,757 | 40,659 | 407 | 4.642 | 464.24 |
Midlothian | 21 | 587,779 | 85,067 | 851 | 6.910 | 690.96 |
Morayshire | 19 | 67,996 | 124,986 | 1,250 | 0.544 | 54.40 |
Nairnshire | 4 | 12,577 | 38,843 | 388 | 0.324 | 32.38 |
Orkney | 21 | 21,349 | 98,979 | 990 | 0.216 | 21.57 |
Peeblesshire | 14 | 19,187 | 90,055 | 901 | 0.213 | 21.31 |
Perthshire | 71 | 155,008 | 643,218 | 6,432 | 0.241 | 24.10 |
Renfrewshire | 17 | 622,050 | 66,199 | 662 | 9.397 | 939.67 |
Ross and Cromarty | 33 | 77,382 | 840,667 | 8,407 | 0.095 | 9.20 |
Roxburghshire | 30 | 48,639 | 175,282 | 1,753 | 0.277 | 27.75 |
Selkirkshire | 7 | 18,267 | 69,630 | 696 | 0.262 | 26.23 |
Stirlingshire | 22 | 233,241 | 122,421 | 1,224 | 1.905 | 190.52 |
Sutherland | 13 | 12,803 | 505,958 | 5,060 | 0.025 | 2.53 |
Wigtownshire | 17 | 26,618 | 129,816 | 1,298 | 0.205 | 20.50 |
Zetland | 12 | 23,167 | 146,665 | 1,467 | 0.158 | 15.80 |
See also
References
- "Geography – Background Information – Civil Parishes and Islands" (PDF). National Records of Scotland. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
- The 871 parishes are listed here "Scottish Civil Parishes Index map" (PDF). scrol: Scotland's Census Records Online. 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
- GROS. "Standard Outputs | Census Data Explorer | Scotland's Census". www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
- GENUKI. "Genuki: Applecross, Ross and Cromarty". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- "Bervie History". ABK Church. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- "Harray, Orkney, Scotland Genealogy". FamilySearch Wiki. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- "Boleskine". www.cushnieent.com. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- "Broughton". www.bordersfhs.org.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- "Carsphairn Parish Church - Carsphairn Community Website". carsphairn.org. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
- "Saints in Scottish Place-Names - Colvend & Southwick, modern parish". saintsplaces.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
- "Parish Profile". Ale and Teviot United Church. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- "Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 map, 1956". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- "Ordnance Survey 1 inch map, 1969". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- "Dundee Extension Order Confirmation Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 48, retrieved 13 January 2023
- "Duthil & Rothiemurcas, Inverness-shire, Scotland Genealogy". FamilySearch Wiki. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- "Stronsay, Orkney, Scotland Genealogy". FamilySearch Wiki. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- GENUKI. "Genuki: Durness, Sutherland". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- GENUKI. "Genuki: Evie and Rendall, Orkney". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- "Firth & Stennes, Orkney, Scotland Genealogy". FamilySearch Wiki. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- "Kinnettes Parish". www.cushnieent.com. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- GENUKI. "Genuki: Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
- GENUKI. "Genuki: Glensheil, Ross and Cromarty". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- GENUKI. "Genuki: Golspie, Sutherland". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- GENUKI. "Genuki: Halkirk, Caithness". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- "The New Statistical Account of Scotland - Parish of Huntly". www.electricscotland.com. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- "History of Kailzie, in Scottish Borders and Peebles Shire". A Vision of Britain through Time.
- Maclachlan, L. "Antiquarian Notes, Historical, Genealogical and Social on Inverness shire". electricscotland.com. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- "Saints in Scottish Place-Names - Old Roxburgh, former parish, Roxburgh". saintsplaces.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- "Lemlair Parish". www.cushnieent.com. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- "Kirkhill, Inverness-shire, Scotland Genealogy". FamilySearch Wiki. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- "List of parishes" (PDF).
- "Petty, Inverness-shire, Scotland Genealogy". FamilySearch Wiki. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- "Parish of Portree from The Gazetteer for Scotland". www.scottish-places.info. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- "Nonakiln | Canmore". canmore.org.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- "Small Isles, Inverness-shire, Scotland Genealogy". FamilySearch Wiki. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- "Saints in Scottish Place-Names - St Conan's Church, Uig, Snizort (Skye)". saintsplaces.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- "Saints in Scottish Place-Names - Cruggleton, former parish, Sorbie". saintsplaces.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- "South Ronaldshay & Burray, Orkney, Scotland Genealogy". FamilySearch Wiki. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- "Church History :: Bellie & Speymouth Church". www.bellieandspeymouth.org.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- "Wigtownshire Pages: Sorbie parish info". sites.rootsweb.com. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- GENUKI. "Genuki: Stranraer, Wigtownshire". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- "Saints in Scottish Place-Names - Stronsay, modern parish (Orkney)". saintsplaces.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- "Teviothead". www.bordersfhs.org.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- GENUKI. "Genuki: Tweedsmuir (parish), Peebles-shire". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- "Saints in Scottish Place-Names - Tarradale, former parish, aka Kilchrist, Urray". saintsplaces.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- GENUKI. "Genuki: Watten, Caithness". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
External links
- Scottish Civil Parish Maps at ArcGIS
- scotlandsplaces.gov.uk displays parish maps for individual counties, as in this example of Dumfriesshire parishes.