User:Jnestorius/Boundary Commissioners for Scotland

The Boundary Commissioners for Scotland were appointed under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 to rationalise the boundaries of the counties, civil parishes, and police burghs of Scotland in preparation for the reform of local government centred on the introduction of county councils. The Commissioners eliminated exclaves ("detached parts") of counties and parishes, and realigned borders so that all burghs and most parishes were within a single county. The Commissioners made 129zzz orders implementing changes before being dissolved in 1892, whereupon the Secretary for Scotland took over the power to make future adjustments.

Background
The Inverness and Elgin County Boundaries Act, 1870 had been agreed by the Inverness-shire and Elginshire local governments zzzwhich? Many exclaves in England and Wales were abolished by the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844. Exclaves were treated for some purposes as part of the enclosing county (or, where between two counties, that with the longest common border). This was the case for the Police Act 1857, zzzBridges; but not for the zzzDiseases.

The Dumbartonshire exclave of zzz was specifically excluded from the act's provisions. Cromartyshire was explicitly merged with Ross-shire to form Ross and Cromarty.

The commissioners "did not propose to undertake a general straightening of overhauling of county boundaries, although they were prepared to deal with them in instances where, owing to parishes being situated in more counties than one, or owing to the detachment of parts of counties and parishes, such a rectification seemed to be necessary or advantageous."

County boundary changes
A total of 24 exclaves (excluding Cromartyshire) were resolved by the Commissioners.


 * Notes:

Parish boundary changes
A total of zzz exclaves were resolved by the Commissioners, sometimes by transferring the exclave to an adjoining parish, sometimes by realigning the boundary to join the exclave to the main portion of the parish, and sometimes by more complex mergers or realignments.