The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict. c. 23) redefined the boundaries of English, Scottish and Welsh constituencies of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (at Westminster), and the new boundaries were first used in the 1885 general election. The boundaries of Irish constituencies were not affected.
1885 boundaries were used also in the general elections of 1886, 1892, 1895, 1900, 1906, January 1910 and December 1910.
In Scotland, as a result of the legislation, there were 32 burgh constituencies, 37 county constituencies and two university constituencies. Except for Dundee, which was a two-seat constituency, each Scottish constituency represented a seat for one Member of Parliament (MP). Therefore, Scotland had 72 MPs.
The 1885 legislation detailed boundary changes but did not detail boundaries for all constituencies. For a complete picture of boundaries in Scotland, it has to be read in conjunction with the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1832 and the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1868.[1]
In Scotland, constituencies related nominally to counties and burghs, but boundaries for parliamentary purposes were not necessarily those for other purposes. Also, county boundaries were altered by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 and by later related legislation. The Representation of the People Act 1918 redefined constituency boundaries in relation to new local government boundaries, and these newer constituency boundaries were first used in the 1918 general election.
Burgh constituencies[edit]
| Parliamentary burgh | Nominal contents of parliamentary burgh | Constituency or constituencies |
| Aberdeen | In county of Aberdeen: burgh of Aberdeen | Aberdeen North |
| Aberdeen South |
| Ayr District of Burghs | In county of Ayr : burghs of Ayr and Irvine
In county of Argyll: burghs of Campbeltown, Inverary, and Oban | Ayr District of Burghs |
| Dumfries District of Burghs | In county of Dumfries: burghs of Annan, Dumfries, Lochmaben and Sanquhar
In county of Kirkcudbright: burgh of Kirkcudbright. | Dumfries District of Burghs |
| Dundee | In county of Forfar: burgh of Dundee | Dundee
Elected two MPs |
| Edinburgh | In county of Edinburgh: burgh of Edinburgh | Edinburgh Central |
| Edinburgh East |
| Edinburgh South |
| Edinburgh West |
| Elgin District of Burghs | In county of Elgin: burgh of Elgin
In county of Banff: burghs of Cullen and Banff
In county of Aberdeen: burghs of Inverurie, Kintore, and Peterhead | Elgin District of Burghs |
| Falkirk District of Burghs | In county of Lanark: burghs of Airdrie, Hamilton, and Lanark
In county of Linlithgow: burgh of Linlithgow
In county of Stirling: burgh of Falkirk | Falkirk District of Burghs |
| Glasgow | In county of Lanark: burgh of Glasgow | Glasgow Blackfriars and Hutchesontown |
| Glasgow Bridgeton |
| Glasgow Camlachie |
| Glasgow Central |
| Glasgow College |
| Glasgow St Rollox |
| Glasgow Tradeston |
| Govan | In county of Lanark: burgh of Govan | Govan |
| Greenock | In county of Renfrew: burgh of Greenock | Greenock |
| Hawick District of Burghs | In county of Roxburgh: burgh of Hawick
In county of Selkirk burghs of Galashiels and Selkirk | Hawick District of Burghs |
| Inverness District of Burghs | 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 | Inverness District of Burghs |
| Kilmarnock District of Burghs | In county of Ayr: burgh of Kilmarnock
In county of Dumbarton: burgh of Dumbarton
In the county of Lanark: burgh of Rutherglen
In the county of Renfrew: burghs of Renfrew and Port Glasgow | Kilmarnock District of Burghs |
| Kirkcaldy District of Burghs | In county of Fife: burghs of Burntisland, Dysart, Kinghorn and Kirkcaldy | Kirkcaldy District of Burghs |
| Leith District of Burghs | In county of Edinburgh: burghs of Leith, Musselburgh, and Portobello | Leith District of Burghs |
| Montrose District of Burghs | In county of Forfar: burghs of Arbroath, Brechin, Forfar, and Montrose
In county of Kincardine: burgh of Inverbervie | Montrose District of Burghs |
| Paisley | In county of Renfrew: burgh of Paisley | Paisley |
| Partick | In county of Lanark: burgh of Partick | Partick |
| Perth | In county of Perth: burgh of Perth | Perth |
| St Andrews District of Burghs | In county of Fife: burghs of St Andrews, Anstruther Easter, Anstruther Wester, Crail, Cupar, Kilrenny and Pittenweem | St Andrews District of Burghs |
| Stirling District of Burghs | 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 | Stirling District of Burghs |
| Wick District of Burghs | In county of Caithness: burgh of Wick
In county of Cromarty: burgh of Cromarty
In county of Orkney: burgh of Kirkwall
In county of Ross: burghs of Dingwall and Tain
In county of Sutherland: burgh of Dornoch | Wick District of Burghs |
County constituencies[edit]
| Parliamentary county | Nominal contents of parliamentary county | Constituency or constituencies |
| Aberdeen | County of Aberdeen
Excluded burghs of Aberdeen, Inverurie, Kintore, and Peterhead | Eastern Aberdeenshire |
| Western Aberdeenshire |
| Argyll | County of Argyll
Excluded burgh of Oban | Argyllshire |
| Ayr | County of Ayr
Excluded burghs of Ayr, Irvine, and Kilmarnock | North Ayrshire |
| South Ayrshire |
| Banff | County of Banff
Excluded burghs of Banff and Cullen | Banffshire |
| Berwick | County of Berwick | Berwickshire |
| Bute | County of Bute | Buteshire |
| Caithness | County of Caithness
Excluded burgh of Wick | Caithness |
| Clackmannan and Kinross | County of Clackmannan and county of Kinross | Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire |
| Dumfries | County of Dumfries
Excluded burghs of Annan, Dumfries, Lochmaben, and Sanquhar | Dumfriesshire |
| Dumbarton | County of Dumbarton
Excluded burgh of Dumbarton | Dumbartonshire |
| Edinburgh | County of Edinburgh
Excluded burghs of Edinburgh, Leith, Musselburgh, and Portobello | Edinburghshire |
| Elgin and Nairn | County of Elgin and county of Nairn
Excluded burgh of Elgin, Forres, and Nairn | Elginshire and Nairnshire |
| Fife | County of Fife
Excluded burghs of Anstruther Easter, Anstruther Wester, Burntisland, Crail, Culross, Dunfermline, Dysart, Inverkeithing, Kilrenny, Kinghorn, Kirkcaldy, and Pittenweem | East Fife |
| West Fife |
| Forfar | County of Forfar
Excluded burghs of Arbroath, Brechin, Dundee, Forfar, and Montrose | Forfarshire |
| Haddington | County of Haddington | Haddingtonshire |
| Inverness | County of Inverness
Excluded burgh of Inverness | Inverness-shire |
| Kirkcudbright | County of Kirkcudbright
Excluded burghs of Kirkcudbright and New Galloway | Kirkcudbrightshire |
| Kincardine | County of Kincardine
Excluded burgh of Inverbervie | Kincardineshire |
| Lanark | County of Lanark
Excluded burghs of Airdrie, Glasgow, Govan, Lanark, Partick, Rutherglen, and Hamilton | Mid Lanarkshire |
| North East Lanarkshire |
| North West Lanarkshire |
| South Lanarkshire |
| Linlithgow | County of Linlithgow
Excluded burghs of Linlithgow and South Queensferry | Linlithgowshire |
| Orkney and Zetland | County of Orkney and county of Zetland
Excluded burgh of Kirkwall | Orkney and Zetland |
| Peebles and Selkirk | County of Peebles and county of Selkirk
Excluded burghs of Galashiels and Selkirk | Peebles and Selkirk |
| Perth | County of Perth
Excluded burgh of Perth | East Perthshire |
| West Perthshire |
| Renfrew | County of Renfrew
Excluded burghs of Paisley, Port Glasgow, and Renfrew | East Renfrewshire |
| West Renfrewshire |
| Ross and Cromarty | County of Ross and county of Cromarty
Excluded burghs of Cromarty, Dingwall, Fortrose, and Tain | Ross and Cromarty |
| Roxburgh | County of Roxburgh
Excluded burgh of Hawick | Roxburghshire |
| Stirling | County of Stirling
Excluded burghs of Falkirk and Stirling | Stirlingshire |
| Sutherland | County of Sutherland
Excluded burgh of Dornoch | Sutherland |
| Wigtown | County of Wigtown | Wigtownshire |
University constituencies[edit]
See also[edit]
Notes and references[edit]
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