Civil parishes in Scotland facts for kids

Civil parishes are like old-fashioned local areas in Scotland. They were once used for local government, but now they are mostly for keeping records and statistics.

Civil parishes got their legal powers in 1845. This was when special groups called "parochial boards" were set up. Their job was to help manage the Scottish Poor Laws, which were rules about helping people who were poor.

Later, in 1930, civil parishes stopped being used for local government. Their jobs were given to bigger councils, like county or burgh councils. Since 1975, even smaller local groups called community councils have taken their place as the smallest local areas in Scotland.

What are Civil Parishes?

Civil parishes in Scotland started around 1845. At first, their boundaries were the same as the areas used by the Church of Scotland for religious purposes. But over time, the boundaries for civil parishes and church parishes became different.

If a parish included a town (called a burgh), the area outside the town was known as the landward area.

Changes Over Time

Before 1891, some parishes were split across more than one county. But in 1891, a law called the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 changed this. It made sure that each civil parish was completely inside just one county.

In 1894, the parochial boards were replaced by "parish councils." These councils were chosen by people voting, making them more democratic.

However, the parish councils didn't last forever. In 1930, another law, the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929, got rid of them. Their jobs were then given to the county councils (for landward areas) and burgh councils (for towns).

Still Used Today?

Even though civil parishes don't run local government anymore, their old boundaries are still used for some things. For example, they are used for counting people in the census. They also help with a system for farms called the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS), which is part of the Common Agricultural Policy.

Today, there are 871 civil parishes in Scotland.

Civil Parishes and Church Parishes

When civil parishes first started, their borders matched the areas of the church parishes of the Church of Scotland. But as time went on, the areas used for religious purposes changed and became different from the civil parishes. The church areas then became known as quoad sacra parishes.

Community Councils Today

Since 1975, Scotland has been divided into community council areas. Often, the borders of these community councils are quite similar to the old civil parish boundaries.

These community councils are not the same as the parish councils in England or community councils in Wales. They don't have their own legal powers. However, in some cases, the local authorities (the main councils) have to ask them for their opinion on things.

See also

• List of civil parishes in Scotland
• History of local government in Scotland