Highland Council
The Highland area had been created as an administrative area in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which established a two-tier structure of local government comprising upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts.Highland Regional Council was the upper-tier authority, and the region also contained eight districts, called Badenoch and Strathspey, Caithness, Inverness, Lochaber, Nairn, Ross and Cromarty, Skye and Lochalsh and Sutherland.[2] Until 2007, the new council maintained decentralised management and committee structures which related to former district boundaries.[6] The leaders since 2008 have been:[7] Following the 2022 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to November 2024, the composition of the council was:[13] Of the independent councillors, the majority form the 'Highland Independent' group which is in coalition with the SNP to form the council's administration.The remaining area committees cover Badenoch and Strathspey, the Black Isle, Dingwall and Seaforth, Easter Ross, Lochaber, the Isle of Skye and Raasay, and Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh.
Unitary authorityConvenerIndependentChief ExecutiveHighland IndependentLiberal DemocratHighland AllianceConservativeScottish GreensNon AlignedLabourVoting systemSingle transferable vote5 May 2022Council HeadquartersInvernesslocal authorityHighlandcouncil areas of ScotlandHighland Council HeadquartersLocal Government (Scotland) Act 1973local governmentBadenoch and StrathspeyCaithnessLochaberRoss and CromartySkye and LochalshSutherlandLocal Government etc. (Scotland) Act 19941995 electionfirst past the post1999 election2003 election2007 electionLocal Governance (Scotland) Act 20042017 electionBoundaries ScotlandScottish ParliamentIslands Forumno overall control2022 electionLiberal DemocratsDrew HendryScottish GreenInverness CastleCounty Buildings, Dingwallarea committeescountiesNairnshireBlack IsleDingwallEaster RossIsle of SkyeRaasayWester RossStrathpefferLochalshNorth, West and Central SutherlandThurso and North West CaithnessWick and East CaithnessEast Sutherland and EddertonWester Ross, Strathpeffer and LochalshCromarty FirthTain and Easter RossDingwall and SeaforthEilean a' CheòCaol and MallaigAird and Loch NessInverness WestInverness CentralInverness Ness-sideInverness MillburnCulloden and ArdersierNairn and CawdorInverness SouthFort William and ArdnamurchanHighland Council wards 1995 to 1999Highland Council wards 1999 to 2007Highland Council wards created in 2007legislation.gov.ukThe National ArchivesHistoric Environment ScotlandThe ScotsmanHighlandsThe Highland CouncilBadenoch and Strathspey District CouncilSkye and Lochalsh District CouncilScotlandCouncil areasAberdeen CityAberdeenshireArgyll and ButeClackmannanshireDumfries and GallowayDundee CityEast AyrshireEast DunbartonshireEast LothianEast RenfrewshireCity of EdinburghFalkirkGlasgow CityInverclydeMidlothianNa h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles)North AyrshireNorth LanarkshireOrkneyPerth and KinrossRenfrewshireScottish BordersShetlandSouth AyrshireSouth LanarkshireStirlingWest DunbartonshireWest LothianCouncilsComhairle nan Eilean SiarOrkney IslandsShetland IslandsList by areapopulationdensityWards of Highland Council