Highland Council wards created in 2007


The third set of Highland Council wards, 22 in number, became effective for election purposes in 2007, for the fourth general election of the Highland Council. The new wards were created under the Local Governance Act 2004, and are as defined in recommendations of the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland.
The Highland Council had become a local government authority in 1996, when the two-tier system of regions and districts was abolished and the Highland region became a unitary council area, under the Local Government etc Act 1994. The first Highland Council election, however, was one year earlier, in 1995. Until 1996 councillors shadowed the regional and district councils and planned for the transfer of powers and responsibilities. Elections to the council are normally on a four-year cycle, all wards being contestable at each election.
For the periods 1995 to 1999 each of 72 wards had elected one councillor by the first past the post system. For the period 1999 to 2007, each of 80 wards had elected one councillor by the same system. In 2007, single-member, first past the post wards were replaced by 22 multi-member wards, each electing three or four councillors by the single transferable vote system, to produce a form of proportional representation.
Until 2007 each council ward had been related to one of eight council management areas. In 2007 the council decided to replace the management areas with three new corporate management areas, named as Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, Ross, Skye and Lochaber and Inverness, Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey, and designed for those services that could not be effectively or efficiently delivered and managed at ward level. Two of these names are also those of Westminster Parliament constituencies, and one name is very similar to the name of another Westminster constituency, but constituency and corporate management area boundaries are different. Each corporate management area consists of a whole number of wards.
For ward-level management purposes ten wards are stand-alone areas, eleven are merged into larger areas, and one is divided between two areas. Also, seven wards are grouped into an Inverness city management area.
The wards are numbered as well as named.

Lists of wards created in 2007

Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross wards

The Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross corporate management area consists of seven wards represented by 23 councillors.
NoWardDescriptionSeatsWard management area
7Cromarty FirthNorth of the Cromarty Firth, west of the Tain and Easter Ross ward
Includes the towns of Alness, Evanton and Invergordon
4The ward itself
5East Sutherland and EddertonIncludes the towns and villages of Brora, Dornoch, Edderton, Golspie and Helmsdale
Sutherland is a former local government county, and a former district of the Highland region
3The ward itself
4Landward CaithnessSimilar to the former local government county of Caithness minus the Thurso and Wick wards
Landward means rural, and the ward is bounded more by sea than by other wards
4Caithness, covering the three wards of Landward Caithness, Thurso and Wick
1North, West and Central SutherlandIncludes the towns and villages of Altnaharra, Bettyhill, Bonar Bridge, Durness, Lairg, Lochinver and Tongue
Sutherland is a former local government county and a former district of the Highland region
3The ward itself
8Tain and Easter RossBetween the Cromarty Firth and the Dornoch Firth, east of the Cromarty Firth ward
Includes the town of Tain and the Seaboard Villages
Ross is a former county
3The ward itself
2ThursoUrban Thurso and more rural areas around Thurso Bay
Includes Scrabster Harbour, but not the point of Holborn Head
3Caithness, covering the three wards of Landward Caithness, Thurso and Wick
3WickUrban Wick and more rural areas to north and south3Caithness, covering the three wards of Landward Caithness, Thurso and Wick

Inverness, Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey wards

The Inverness, Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey corporate management area consists of nine wards represented by 34 councillors. Also, seven of the wards, represented by 26 councillors, are grouped into an Inverness city management area with its own city committee.

Inverness wards

NoWardDescriptionSeatsWard management area
13Aird and Loch NessIncludes Loch Ness, the town of Beauly, and the village of Fort Augustus
Aird is a former district of the county of Inverness
4City area 1, covering the Aird and Loch Ness ward and a southern portion of the Inverness South ward
18Culloden and ArdersierIncludes the villages of Culloden, Ardersier and Smithton4City area 4, covering the Culloden and Ardersier ward and a northern portion of the Inverness South ward
15Inverness CentralIncludes Dalneigh, Glebe, Haugh, Merkinch and South Kessock areas of urban Inverness4City area 3, covering the two wards of Inverness Central and Inverness Millburn
17Inverness MillburnIncludes Millburn, Culcabock, Longman and Raigmore areas of urban Inverness3City area 3, covering the two wards of Inverness Central and Inverness Millburn
16Inverness Ness-sideIncludes Drummond, Hilton and Lochardil areas of Inverness, and a more rural area, east of the River Ness4City area 2, covering the two wards of Inverness Ness-side and Inverness West
20Inverness SouthIncludes Cradlehall, Inshes and Westhill areas in or near urban Inverness, and the village of Tomatin, on the River Findhorn4Divided between city area 1, covering the Aird and Loch Ness ward and a southern portion of the Inverness South ward, and city area 4, covering the Culloden and Ardersier ward and a northern portion of the Inverness South ward
14Inverness WestIncludes Kinmylies and Scorguie areas of urban Inverness, and a more rural area, west of the River Ness3City area 2, covering the two wards of Inverness Ness-side and Inverness West

Other wards

NoWardDescriptionSeatsWard management area
21Badenoch and StrathspeyIncludes the towns and villages of Aviemore, Carrbridge, Cromdale, Grantown-on-Spey, Kingussie and Newtonmore
Badenoch and Strathspey is also a former district of the Highland region
4The ward itself
19NairnUrban Nairn and more rural areas
Within the former county of Nairn, and former Nairn district of the Highland region
4The ward itself

Ross, Skye and Lochaber wards

The Ross, Skye and Lochaber corporate management area consists of six wards represented by 23 councillors.
NoWardDescriptionSeatsWard management area
10Black IsleA Black Isle area, between the Beauly Firth and the Cromarty Firth
Includes the towns of Cromarty and Fortrose
4The ward itself
12Caol and MallaigIncludes the Caol area of the town of Fort William, Arisaig, the town of Mallaig, and the Small Isles
A boundary divides the town of Fort William between the Fort William and Ardnamurchan ward and the Caol and Mallaig ward
3Lochaber, covering the two wards of Fort William and Ardnamurchan, and Caol and Mallaig
9Dingwall and SeaforthIncludes the towns of Dingwall, Conon Bridge, and Muir of Ord4The ward itself
11Eilean a' CheòIslands, including Skye and Raasay4The ward itself
22Fort William and ArdnamurchanIncludes part of the town of Fort William, the villages of Ballachulish and Kinlochleven, and the Ardnamurchan peninsula
A boundary divides the town of Fort William between the Fort William and Ardnamurchan ward and the Caol and Mallaig ward
Loch Linnhe divides the Fort William and Ardnamurchan ward into two distinct areas
4Lochaber, covering the two wards of Fort William and Ardnamurchan, and Caol and Mallaig
6Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and LochalshIncludes the towns and villages of Gairloch, Lochalsh, Strathpeffer and Ullapool
Ross is a former county
4The ward itself