Scottish Westminster constituencies 1868 to 1885
The Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1868 redefined the boundaries of Scottish constituencies of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (at Westminster), and the new boundaries were first used in the 1868 general election.
For the same general election, boundaries in England were redefined by the Representation of the People Act 1867 and there was, effectively, a transfer of seven parliamentary seats from England to Scotland.
1868 boundaries were used also in the general elections of 1874 and 1880.
As a result of the legislation, Scotland had 22 burgh constituencies, 32 county constituencies and two university constituencies. Except for Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow, each Scottish constituency represented a seat for one Member of Parliament (MP). Edinburgh and Dundee represented two seats each, and Glasgow represented three seats. Therefore Scotland was entitled to 60 MPs.
15 of the burgh constituencies were districts of burghs.
The constituencies related nominally to counties and burghs, but boundaries for parliamentary purposes were not necessarily those for other purposes.
For the 1885 general election, new boundaries were defined by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885.
Burgh Constituencies
| Constituency |
Nominal Contents |
| Aberdeen |
In county of Aberdeen: burgh of Aberdeen |
| Ayr District |
In county of Ayr: burghs of Ayr and Irvine
In county of Argyll: burghs of Campbeltown, Inverary, and Oban |
| Dumfries District |
In county of Dumfries: burghs of Annan, Dumfries, Lochmaben, and Sanquhar
In county of Kirkcudbright: burgh of Kirkcudbright |
| Dundee |
In county of Forfar: burgh of Dundee
Elected two MPs |
Edinburgh
Elected two MPs |
In county of Edinburgh: burgh of Edinburgh |
| Elgin District |
In county of Aberdeen: burghs of Inverurie, Kintore, and Peterhead
In county of Banff: burgh of Banff
In county of Elgin: burghs of Elgin and Cullen |
| Falkirk District |
In county of Lanark: burghs of Airdrie, Hamilton, and Lanark
In county of Linlithgow: burgh of Linlithgow
In county of Stirling: burgh of Falkirk |
Glasgow
Elected three MPs |
In county of Lanark: burgh of Glasgow |
| Greenock |
In county of Renfrew: burgh of Greenock |
| Haddington District |
In county of Berwick: burgh of Lauder
In county of Haddington burghs of Dunbar, Haddington, and North Berwick
In county of Roxburgh: burgh of Jedburgh |
| Hawick District |
In county of Roxburgh: burgh of Hawick
In county of Selkirk: burghs of Galashiels and Selkirk |
| Inverness District |
In county of Elgin: burgh of Forres
In county of Inverness: burgh of Inverness
In county of Nairn: burgh of Nairn
In county of Ross: burgh of Fortrose |
| Kilmarnock District |
In county of Ayr: burgh of Kilmarnock
In county of Dumbarton: burgh of Dumbarton
In county of Lanark: burgh of Rutherglen
In county of Renfrew: burghs of Port Glasgow and Renfrew |
| Kirkcaldy District |
In county of Fife: burghs of Burntisland, Dysart, Kinghorn, and Kirkcaldy |
| Leith District |
In county of Edinburgh: burghs of Leith, Portobello and Musselburgh |
| Montrose District |
In county of Forfar: burghs of Arbroath, Brechin, Forfar, and Montrose
In county of Kincardine: burgh of Inverbervie |
| Paisley |
In county of Renfrew: burgh of Paisley |
| Perth |
In county of Perth: burgh of Perth |
| St Andrews District |
In county of Fife: burghs of Anstruther Easter, Anstruther Wester, Crail, Cupar, Pittenweem, Kilrenny, and St Andrews |
| Stirling District |
In county of Fife: burghs of Dunfermline and Inverkeithing
In county of Linlithgow: burgh of South Queensferry
In county of Perth: burgh of Culross
In county of Stirling: burgh of Stirling |
| Wick District |
In county of Caithness: burgh of Wick
In county of Cromarty: burgh of Cromarty
In county of Orkney: burgh of Kirkwall
In county of Sutherland: burgh of Dornoch
In county of Ross: burghs of Dingwall and Tain |
| Wigtown District |
In county of Wigtown: burghs of New Galloway, Stranraer, Wigtown, and Whithorn |
County constituencies
| Parliamentary county |
Nominal contents |
Constituency or constituencies |
| Aberdeen |
County of Aberdeen except burghs of Aberdeen, Inverurie, Kintore, and Peterhead |
East Aberdeenshire |
| West Aberdeenshire |
| Argyll |
County of Argyll except burghs of Campbeltown, Inverary, and Oban |
Argyll |
| Ayr |
County of Ayr except burghs of Ayr, Irvine, and Kilmarnock |
North Ayrshire |
| South Ayrshire |
| Banff |
County of Banff except burgh of Banff |
Banffshire |
| Berwick |
County of Berwick except burgh of Lauder |
Berwickshire |
| Bute |
County of Bute |
Buteshire |
| Caithness |
County of Caithness except burgh of Wick |
Caithness |
| Clackmannan and Kinross |
County of Clackmannan
and county of Kinross |
Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire |
| Dumbarton |
County of Dumbarton except burgh of Dumbarton |
Dumbartonshire |
| Dumfries |
County of Dumfries except burghs of Annan, Dumfries, Lochmaben, and Sanquhar |
Dumfriesshire |
| Edinburgh |
County of Edinburgh except burghs of Edinburgh, Leith, Portobello and Musselburgh |
Edinburghshire |
| Elgin and Nairn |
County of Elgin except burghs of Elgin, Forres, and Cullen
and county of Nairn except burgh of Nairn |
Elginshire and Nairnshire |
| Fife |
County of Fife except burghs of Anstruther Easter, Anstruther Wester, Burntisland, Crail, Cupar, Dunfermline, Dysart, Inverkeithing, Kilrenny, Kinghorn, Kirkcaldy, Pittenweem, and St Andrews |
Fife |
| Forfar |
County of Forfar except burghs of Arbroath, Brechin, Dundee, Forfar, and Montrose |
Forfarshire |
| Haddington |
County of Haddington except burghs of Dunbar, Haddington, and North Berwick |
Haddingtonshire |
| Inverness |
County of Inverness except burgh of Inverness |
Inverness-shire |
| Kincardine |
County of Kincardine except burgh of Inverbervie |
Kincardineshire |
| Kirkcudbright |
County of Kirkcudbright except burgh of Kirkcudbright |
Kirkcudbrightshire |
| Lanark |
County of Lanark except burghs of Airdrie, Glasgow, Hamilton, Rutherglen, and Lanark |
North Lanarkshire |
| South Lanarkshire |
| Linlithgow |
County of Linlithgow except burghs of Linlithgow and South Queensferry |
Linlithgowshire |
| Orkney and Zetland |
County of Orkney except burgh of Kirkwall
and county of Zetland |
Orkney and Zetland |
| Peebles and Selkirk |
County of Peebles and county of Selkirk except burghs of Galashiels and Selkirk |
Peebles and Selkirk |
| Perth |
County of Perth except burghs of Culross and Perth |
Perthshire |
| Renfrew |
County of Renfrew except burghs of Greenock, Paisley, Port Glasgow, and Renfrew and county of Selkirk except burghs of Galashiels and Selkirk |
Renfrewshire |
| Ross and Cromarty |
County of Ross except burghs of Dingwall, Fortrose, and Tain
county of Cromarty except burgh of Cromarty |
Ross and Cromarty |
| Roxburgh |
County of Roxburgh except burghs of Hawick and Jedburgh |
Roxburghshire |
| Stirling |
County of Stirling except burghs of Falkirk and Stirling |
Stirlingshire |
| Sutherland |
County of Sutherland except burgh of Dornoch |
Sutherland |
| Wigtown |
County of Wigtown except burghs of New Galloway, Stranraer, Wigtown, and Whithorn |
Wigtownshire |
University constituencies