Perth and Kinross ( sco, Pairth an Kinross; gd, Peairt agus Ceann Rois) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially differe ...

Angus Angus may refer to: Media * ''Angus'' (film), a 1995 film * ''Angus Og'' (comics), in the ''Daily Record'' Places Australia * Angus, New South Wales Canada * Angus, Ontario, a community in Essa, Ontario * East Angus, Quebec Scotland * An ...

Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute ( sco, Argyll an Buit; gd, Earra-Ghàidheal agus Bòd, ) is one of 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod (14 July 2020) ...

, Clackmannanshire,

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

Fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...

and Stirling council areas.

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

is the administrative centre. With the exception of a large area of south-western Perthshire, the council area mostly corresponds to the historic counties of

Perthshire Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...

and

Kinross-shire The County of Kinross or Kinross-shire is a historic county and registration county in eastern Scotland, administered as part of Perth and Kinross since 1930. Surrounding its largest settlement and county town of Kinross, the county borders Per ...

. Perthshire and Kinross-shire shared a joint

county council A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries. Ireland The county councils created under British rule in 1899 continue to exist in Irela ...

from 1929 until 1975. The area formed a single local government district in 1975 within the

Tayside Tayside ( gd, Taobh Tatha) was one of the nine regions used for local government in Scotland from 15 May 1975 to 31 March 1996. The region was named for the River Tay. It was created by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, following recom ...

region under the ''

Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c. 65) is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered local government in Scotland on 16 May 1975. The Act followed and largely implemented the report of the Royal Commission on Local Gove ...

'', and was then reconstituted as a

unitary authority A unitary authority is a local authority responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are usually performed by a higher level of sub-national government or the national governmen ...

(with a minor boundary adjustment) in 1996 by the '' Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994''. Geographically the area is split by the Highland Boundary Fault into a more mountainous northern part and a flatter southern part. The northern area is a popular tourist spot, while agriculture makes an important contribution to the southern part of the area. The area is run by Perth and Kinross Council, and is represented by members of the

Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...

within both the

Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...

and the

Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprema ...

History

PERTH & CLACKMANNAN SHIRES Civil Parish map

The historical counties of

and

were separate entities prior to 1975. Under the terms of the 1973 Local Government (Scotland) Act Kinross-shire became part of the

region, while Perthshire was split between the Tayside and

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

regions. Under the terms of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 these regions were dissolved in 1996 and the unitary authority of Perth and Kinross was created from the areas of Perthshire and Kinross-shire which were previously part of the Tayside region.

Geography

The Highland Boundary Fault runs across the region from the northeast to the southwest. This roughly divides the area between highland Perthshire, including part of the Grampian Mountains, to the north, and lowland Perthshire and Kinross to the south. The highland area is intersected with

glacial valleys A valley is an elongated low area often running between Hill, hills or Mountain, mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers ...

, often containing

ribbon lake A ribbon lake is a long and deep, finger-shaped lake, usually found in a glacial trough. As such, a ribbon lake is one of a number of glacial landscapes, including arêtes, corries, rock lips, rock basins and terminal moraines. Such a lake's fo ...

s, including

Loch Tay Loch Tay ( gd, Loch Tatha) is a freshwater loch in the central highlands of Scotland, in the Perth and Kinross and Stirling council areas. It is the largest body of fresh water in Perth and Kinross, and the sixth largest loch in Scotland. The ...

and

Loch Earn Loch Earn (Scottish Gaelic language, Scottish Gaelic, ''Loch Eire/Loch Éireann'') is a freshwater loch in the southern Scottish Highlands, highlands of Scotland, in the districts of Perth and Kinross and Stirling (council area), Stirling. Th ...

. The lowland area is a fertile region lying within the Central Lowlands.

Economy

In the southern part of Perth and Kinross agriculture plays an important part of the local economy. This includes the cultivation of fruits, fodder, wheat and seed potatoes. The scenic nature of the northern part of Perth and Kinross makes tourism an important part of the economy. The

Forestry Commission The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for the management of publicly owned forests and the regulation of both public and private forestry in England. The Forestry Commission was previously also respon ...

controls large parts of the area, which is also home to a number of

hydroelectric dams Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

City

Towns and villages

Towns

Villages

Places of interest

Ashintully Castle Ashintully Castle, located near Kirkmichael, north of Blairgowrie, in the county of Perthshire Scotland, was built in 1583 as a fortified tower house by the Spalding family; the Feudal Barons of Ashintully. The Spalding Barons were chiefs of th ...

* Atholl Country Life Museum * Ben Lawers * Blackhall Roman Camps *

Blair Atholl Mill Blair Atholl Watermill is Scotland's oldest working watermill, located in Blair Atholl, Perth and Kinross, and dating to around 1830. There has been a mill on the site since at least the 1590s. After it stopped being used, in 1929, it became a st ...

Blair Castle Blair Castle (in Scottish Gaelic: Caisteil Bhlàir) stands in its grounds near the village of Blair Atholl in Perthshire in Scotland. It is the ancestral home of the Clan Murray, and was historically the seat of their chief, the Duke of Atholl, ...

Cateran Trail The Cateran Trail is a circular long-distance walking route in central Scotland. The trail has no official beginning or end and can be joined at any stage. The route was established, way-marked and is now maintained by, the Perth & Kinross Cou ...

Cairngorms National Park Cairngorms National Park ( gd, Pàirc Nàiseanta a' Mhonaidh Ruaidh) is a national park in northeast Scotland, established in 2003. It was the second of two national parks established by the Scottish Parliament, after Loch Lomond and The Tro ...

* Castle Menzies * Clan Donnachaidh Centre * Cluny House Gardens *

Dirnanean House Dirnanean House is part of a private, traditional Highland estate located near Enochdhu in Moulin parish, Blairgowrie and Rattray, Blairgowrie, Perth and Kinross, Scotland, 10 miles ENE of Pitlochry. The Dirnanean estate is situated adjacent to ...

* Drummond Castle *

Edradour Distillery Edradour distillery (Scottish Gaelic: ''Eadar Dhà Dhobhar'', "between two rivers") is a Highland single malt whisky distillery based in Pitlochry, Perthshire. It has been owned by the Signatory Vintage Scotch Whisky Company since 2002, an ...

Elcho Castle Elcho Castle () is located close to the south bank of the River Tay approximately four miles south-east of Perth, Scotland, in the region of Perth and Kinross. It was maintained by Clan Wemyss from its construction around 1560 until it was p ...

Forest of Atholl The Forest of Atholl (also known as Atholl Forest) is a deer forest near the Scottish village of Blair Atholl, Perth and Kinross, first recorded in the 12th century. in size, most of it is within the Cairngorms National Park Cairngorms Natio ...

Fortingall Yew The Fortingall Yew is an ancient European yew (''Taxus baccata'') in the churchyard of the village of Fortingall in Perthshire, Scotland. Considered one of the oldest trees in Britain, modern estimates place its age at an average of 5,000 years. ...

* Glen Lyon * Grampian Mountains *

Kindrogan House Kindrogan House is located near Enochdhu, Blairgowrie, Perth and Kinross in Moulin parish, at the head of Strath Ardle, ENE of Pitlochry and northwest of Kirkmichael, Perth and Kinross, Kirkmichael. It is run by Somerville Enterprises CIC a not ...

Lendrick Muir School Lendrick Muir School was a Scottish residential school for children of above average intelligence, aged 11–19 (originally 7–18) or latterly children with dyslexia, located in Perth and Kinross on an unclassified road from Rumbling Bridge to C ...

* Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park * Loch Rannoch *

Melville Monument The Melville Monument is a large column in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, Scotland, constructed between 1821 and 1827 as a memorial to Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville. Dundas was a dominant figure in Scottish and British politics during much ...

Portmoak Portmoak is a parish in Kinross-shire, Scotland. It consists of a group of settlements running north to south: Glenlomond, Wester Balgedie, Easter Balgedie, Kinnesswood, Kilmagadwood and Scotlandwell. The name derives from the Port of St Mo ...

* Rannoch Moor * Strathearn * Whitefield Castle

Politics and governance

Local Council

Following the

2022 Perth and Kinross Council election Elections to Perth and Kinross Council were held on 5 May 2022 as part of the 2022 Scottish local elections. 40 Councillors were elected from 12 multi-members electoral wards under the Single Transferable Vote electoral system. The Scottish Conse ...

, part of the Scotland wide local elections, the composition of the local council was as follows:

Scottish Parliament

Perth and Kinross is covered by two

Scottish Parliament constituencies The Scottish Parliament ( Holyrood), created by the Scotland Act 1998, has used a system of constituencies and electoral regions since the first general election in 1999. The parliament has 73 constituencies, each electing one Member of th ...

and one electoral region. Following the

2021 Scottish Parliament election The 2021 Scottish Parliament election took place on 6 May 2021, under the provisions of the Scotland Act 1998. All 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament were elected in the sixth election since the parliament was re-established in 1999. The ele ...

these two constituencies - Perthshire South and Kinross-shire and Perthshire North - are held respectively by

Jim Fairlie Jim Fairlie may refer to: * Jim Fairlie (MSP), member of the Scottish Parliament * Jim Fairlie (politician, born 1940), former Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party See also * James Fairlie (disambiguation) {{hndis, Fairlie, Jim ...

and

John Swinney John Ramsay Swinney (born 13 April 1964) is a Scottish politician who has served as Deputy First Minister of Scotland since 2014 and Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery since 2021. He was the Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from 200 ...

, both members of the

. Following the same election the electoral region - Mid Scotland and Fife - is represented by four members of the Scottish Conservatives, two members of

Scottish Labour Scottish Labour ( gd, Pàrtaidh Làbarach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Labour Pairty; officially the Scottish Labour Party) is a social democratic political party in Scotland. It is an autonomous section of the UK Labour Party. From their peak of ...

, and one member of the

Scottish Greens The Scottish Greens (also known as the Scottish Green Party; gd, Pàrtaidh Uaine na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Green Pairtie) are a green political party in Scotland. The party has seven MSPs in the Scottish Parliament as of May 2021. As of the 20 ...

UK Parliament

Perth and Kinross is covered by two United Kingdom Parliament constituencies;

Perth and North Perthshire Perth and North Perthshire is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. The constituency was created in 2005. ...

and

Ochil and South Perthshire Ochil and South Perthshire is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post system of election. The constituency was created for the 2 ...

. Following the 2019 UK Parliamentary General Election these seats are respectively held by

Pete Wishart Peter Wishart (born 9 March 1962) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician and musician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Perth and North Perthshire, formerly North Tayside, since the 2001 general election. Wishart i ...

and John Nicolson, both for the Scottish National Party.

Referendums

On 18 September 2014, Perth and Kinross voted strongly "No" in the

Scottish Independence Referendum A referendum on Scottish independence from the United Kingdom was held in Scotland on 18 September 2014. The referendum question was, "Should Scotland be an independent country?", which voters answered with "Yes" or "No". The "No" side wo ...

, with a majority of 60.2% on a record turnout of 86.9% . On 23 June 2016, Perth and Kinross voted in favour of remain in the

Brexit referendum The United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, commonly referred to as the EU referendum or the Brexit referendum, took place on 23 June 2016 in the United Kingdom (UK) and Gibraltar to ask the electorate whether the country shoul ...

, with a majority of 61.1% on a turnout of 73.7%.

References

External links

Perth and Kinross Council
*
The Perthshire Diary – 365 history storiesPerth CityA Vision of Britain Through Time: A vision of Perth and Kinross
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Perth And Kinross Lieutenancy areas of Scotland Highlands and Islands of Scotland Council areas of Scotland