Ochil (Scottish Parliament constituency)

The region covers all of the Clackmannanshire council area, all of the Fife council area, all of the Perth and Kinross council area, all of the Stirling council area and parts of the Angus council area.

The constituency was created at the same time as the Scottish Parliament, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of a pre-existing Westminster (House of Commons) constituency. In 2005, however, Scottish Westminster constituencies were mostly replaced with new constituencies.[1] The Ochil Westminster constituency, was divided between the Ochil and South Perthshire Westminster constituency and the Stirling Westminster constituency.

From the Scottish Parliament election, 2011, Ochil was largely replaced by an expanded constituency of Clackmannanshire and Dunblane.

Although a county constituency, Ochil was mostly industrial in character, with the main industries of the region being brewing, distilling, glass manufacture, bottling, tourism and agriculture. There are however affluent areas, including Bridge of Allan, which is home to wealthy commuters to the city of Stirling and further afield; Dollar, which has, in its Academy, one of Scotland's most renowned private schools; and rural Kinross. The majority of the constituency's inhabitants, however, are working-class.

Note: Although George Reid was elected as a Scottish National Party candidate in 2003, he became independent the same year, as the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament.