Highland (council area)
• MSPs | |
---|---|
Area | |
• Total | 9,905 sq mi (25,653 km2) |
• Rank | Ranked 7th |
• Density | 24/sq mi (9.3/km2) |
ONS code | S12000017 |
ISO 3166 code | GB-HLD |
Highland (
The Highland area covers most of the mainland and
Name
Unlike the other council areas of Scotland, the name Highland is often not used as a proper noun. The council's website only sometimes refers to the area as being Highland, and other times as being the Highland Council Area or the Highlands.[1][2] Road signs on the boundary of the council area say "Welcome to the Highlands" rather than "Welcome to Highland".
To many people within the area, using the name Highland as a noun sounds wrong. Dingwall in Highland, for example, sounds strange and is not idiomatic usage. To refer specifically to the area covered by the council, people tend to say the Highland Council area or the Highland area or the Highland region. Otherwise, they may also refer to the traditional county names, such as Ross.[citation needed]
Although named after it, the Highland council area does not cover the entire geographic region of the Scottish Highlands themselves. Other parts belong to the council areas of Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Moray, North Ayrshire, Perth and Kinross, Stirling or West Dunbartonshire.
History
In 1975, the area was created as a two-tier
councils.In 1996, under the
Ward boundaries changed again in 2007, and the management areas and related committees were abolished in favour of three new corporate management areas: Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross; Inverness, Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey; and Ross, Skye and Lochaber. The names of these areas were also names of constituencies, but the boundaries are different.
This has since changed again, and by 2022, the council had returned to area committees, but now with eleven rather than eight, namely: Badenoch and Strathspey, Black Isle, Caithness, City of Inverness, Dingwall and Seaforth, Easter Ross, Isle of Skye and Raasay, Lochaber, Nairnshire, Sutherland County and Wester Ross, Strathpeffer, and Lochalsh.[4]
Geography
The Highland Council is based at the Highland Council Headquarters in Inverness.[5]
The council area covers an area of 25,653 square kilometres (9,905 sq mi)[6] – which is 11.4% of the land area of Great Britain, 32.9% of the land area of Scotland and an area 20% larger than Wales.[7] The Highland and Islands division of Police Scotland also includes the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland (the former area of the Northern Constabulary) and therefore covers an area of 30,659 square kilometres (11,838 sq mi), which is larger than that of the state of Belgium.[8]
Though relatively populous for a Scottish council area, it is also sparsely populated. At 9.0 per km2 in 2012,
The City of Inverness is by far the largest settlement, with a population of 46,870 in 2012.[12] The urban area around Inverness includes a few outlying villages and has a population of 59,910.[12]
The highest point in the Highland council area is Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in both Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. Its northernmost point is the Island of Stroma, in the Pentland Firth. Its southernmost point is on the Morvern peninsula. Highland contains the northernmost and westernmost points of the island of Great Britain, respectively at Dunnet Head and Corrachadh Mòr. Despite the name, not all of Highland is mountainous. The areas east of Inverness, as well as the Black Isle, eastern Sutherland, and all of Caithness are, in fact, low-lying.
Gaelic language
According to the 2011 UK census, there are nearly 12,000 Scottish Gaelic speakers in the Highland area.[13]
Politics
Councillors
The
Political composition
The 2022 election resulted in the following composition: [14]
Party | Councillors | |
SNP | 22 | |
Independent | 21 | |
Liberal Democrat | 15 | |
Conservative | 10 | |
Green | 4 | |
Labour | 2 |
After various changes the current make up of the council is: [15]
Party | Councillors | |
SNP | 22 | |
Highland Independent | 18 | |
Liberal Democrat | 14 | |
Conservative | 8 | |
Highland Alliance | 5 | |
Green | 4 | |
Labour | 2 | |
Non-aligned | 1 |
Members of the Scottish Parliament
For elections to the
The MSPs as at December 2019 are as follows:
Constituency MSPs | Additional Member MSPs |
---|---|
|
|
Members of Parliament
In the
As of the 2019 United Kingdom general election, the members of parliament are:
- Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrats)
- Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey: Drew Hendry (SNP)
- Ross, Skye and Lochaber: Ian Blackford (SNP)
Settlements
Largest settlements by population:
Settlement | Population (mid-2020 est.)[12] |
---|---|
Inverness |
47,790 |
Nairn |
10,190 |
Thurso |
7,390 |
Wick |
6,870 |
Alness |
5,950 |
Fort William
|
5,600 |
Westhill |
5,470 |
Dingwall |
5,360 |
Invergordon |
3,930 |
Culloden |
3,830 |
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1801 | 164,294 | — |
1811 | 173,235 | +5.4% |
1821 | 196,364 | +13.4% |
1831 | 211,947 | +7.9% |
1841 | 213,969 | +1.0% |
1851 | 220,004 | +2.8% |
1911 | 226,144 | +2.8% |
1921 | 176,396 | −22.0% |
1931 | 167,604 | −5.0% |
1941 | 166,602 | −0.6% |
1951 | 165,600 | −0.6% |
1961 | 169,133 | +2.1% |
1971 | 172,666 | +2.1% |
1981 | 186,916 | +8.3% |
1991 | 203,790 | +9.0% |
2001 | 208,914 | +2.5% |
2011 | 232,132 | +11.1% |
Source: [16][17] |
- Alness (Alanais), Altnaharra (Allt na h-Aire), Applecross (A' Chomraich), Ardersier (Àird nan Saor), Ardgour (Àirde Gobhar), Ardnamurchan (Àird nam murchan), Aviemore (An Aghaidh Mhòr), Avoch (Abhach), Auldearn
- Back of Keppoch (A' Cheapaich), Ballachulish (Baile a' Chaolais), Beauly (A' Mhanachainn), Bettyhill (Am Blàran Odhar), (the) Black Isle (An t-Eilean Dubh), Boat of Garten (Coit a' Ghartain), Bonar Bridge (Drochaid a' Bhanna), Broadford (An t-Àth Leathann), Brora (Brùra)
- Carrbridge (Drochaid Chàrr), Conon Bridge (Drochaid Sguideil), Cromarty (Cromba), Culloden (Cul Lodan / Cùil-lodair), Cawdor, Croy
- Dalwhinnie (Dail Chuinnidh), Dingwall (Inbhir Pheofharain), Dornie (An Dòrnaidh), Dornoch (Dòrnach), Drumnadrochit (Druim na Droichaid), Dulnain Bridge (Drochaid Thulnain), Dunvegan (Dùn Bheagain), Durness (Diuranais), Duror (of Appin) (Aphainn Duror)
- Fort William(An Gearasdan)
- (Baile nan Granndach)
- Helmsdale (Bun Ilidh)
- Invergarry (Inbhir Garadh), Invergordon (Inbhir Ghòrdain), Inverie (Inbhir Iodh), Invermoriston (Inbhir Mhoireastain), Inverness (Inbhir Nis)
- John o' Groats (Taigh Iain Ghròt)
- Kiltarlity (Bràigh na h-Àirde), Kingussie (Ceann a' Ghiùbhsaich), Kinlochbervie (Ceann Loch Biorbhaidh), Kinlochleven (Ceann Loch Lìobhann), Knoydart (Cnòideart), Kyle of Lochalsh (Caol Loch Aillse)
- Lochcarron (Loch Carrann), Lochinver (Loch an Inbhir)
- Mallaig (Malaig), Maryburgh (Baile Màiri), Muir of Ord (Am Blàr dubh)
- Nairn (Inbhir Narann), Newtonmore (Baile Ùr an t-Slèibh)
- North Ballachulish(Baile a' Chaolais air Tuath)
- Onich (Omhanaich)
- Plockton (Am Ploc), Portmahomack (Port Mo-Chalmaig), Portree (Port Rìgh)
- Rosemarkie (Ros Maircnidh), Roy Bridge (An Drochaid Ruaraidh)
- Spean Bridge (An Droichaid Spean), Strathpeffer (Srath Pheofhair), Strontian (Sròn an t-Sìthein)
- Tongue (Tunga), Torridon(Toirbheartan)
- Ullapool (Ullapul)
- Wick (Inbhir Ùige)
See also
- Scottish Highlands
- List of places in Highland
- List of places in Argyll and Bute
- List of places in Perth and Kinross
- List of places in Moray
- List of places in the Western Isles
- High Life Highland
Notes
- ^ Gàidhealtachd is used to translate Highland; in other contexts it is used to translate Scottish Highlands and Gaeldom.
References
- ^ "Council Wards". The Highland Council.
- ^ "Our vision for housing in the Highlands". The Highland Council.
- ^ "Highland". BBC. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
- ^ "Meetings and minutes". Highland Council. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ "Older County Buildings, Inverness, 1964". Ambaile. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2021". Office for National Statistics. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ "Breaking up Highland Council into smaller areas debated". BBC News. 14 May 2015.
- ^ "Record police numbers on streets". BBC News. 28 August 2009.
- ^ a b "Highland profile – key facts and figures". The Highland Council. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
- List of sovereign states and dependent territories by population density
- ^ "Global Health Facts : Demography & Population : Population Density (Population Per Square Kilometer)". The Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
- ^ a b c "Mid-2012 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records Scotland (NRS). Retrieved 29 October 2015.
- ^ "Gaelic data from Census 2011". The Highland Council. 14 November 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
- ^ "Highland Council". www.highland.gov.uk.
- ^ "Highland Council". www.highland.gov.uk.
- ^ "Highland District through time – Population Statistics – Total Population". www.visionofbritain.org.uk.
- ^ "Vision of Britain – 1911 Census: County Report – Table 1". www.visionofbritain.org.uk.