| Gordon | |
|---|---|
 Gordon district within Scotland | |
| History | |
| • Created | 16 May 1975 |
| • Abolished | 31 Mar 1996 |
| • Succeeded by | Aberdeenshire |
| Status | District |
| Government | Gordon District Council |
| • HQ | Inverurie |
 Coat of arms of Gordon District Council | |
Gordon was one of five local government districts in theGrampian region ofScotland. The council was based inInverurie. It was created in 1975 and abolished in 1996, when the area was included in theAberdeenshirecouncil area.
The district was created on 16 May 1975 under theLocal Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which established a two-tier structure of local government across Scotland comprising upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. Gordon was one of five districts created within the Grampian region. The new district covered the whole area of eight formerdistricts and parts of another two, which were all abolished at the same time:[1][2]
The whole area was part of the county ofAberdeenshire prior to the reforms.
Various names were considered for the new district, with alternatives includingBennachie from a range of hills in the area,Mar after one of the historicprovinces of Scotland, and Donside from theRiver Don which flows through the area. At a meeting in March 1972 the old Aberdeenshire County Council voted in favour of recommending to the government that Gordon should be the new district's name, after theClan Gordon which had extensive landholdings in the area, including the clan's then principal seat ofHaddo House. The clan took its name from the village ofGordon inBerwickshire.[3]
The regions and districts created in 1975 were abolished in 1996, being replaced bycouncil areas. The area of Gordon was merged with theBanff and Buchan andKincardine and Deeside districts to become the newAberdeenshire council area.[4]
The first election to the district council was held in 1974, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 16 May 1975. Political control of the council from 1975 until its abolition in 1996 was as follows:[5]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| No overall control | 1975–1977 | |
| Independent | 1977–1980 | |
| No overall control | 1980–1984 | |
| Independent | 1984–1988 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 1988–1992 | |
| Independent | 1992–1996 | |
The council initially met atInverurie Town Hall and had its main offices in a converted former bank at 3 High Street inInverurie, with additional offices in various other locations. Shortly after the council's creation it decided to consolidate its meeting place and offices at a purpose-built headquarters. Gordon House was subsequently built on Blackhall Road in Inverurie in phases between 1980 and 1982. It also housed some departments of Grampian Regional Council. Gordon House was formally opened on 9 July 1982.[6][7]
After the council's abolition in 1996, Gordon House became an area office for the successorAberdeenshire Council.[8]
The Gordon District Council was granted acoat of arms byLord Lyon King of Arms on 9 June 1986. The first quarter of the shield showed three gold boars' heads on a blue ground, the arms of the Gordon family, from whom the district's name was derived. The Gordon arms had formed one quarter of the arms ofAberdeenshire County Council. Boars' heads also formed part of the arms of the burgh of Huntly. The second quarter was derived from the Kintore burgh arms, showing an oak tree. The third quarter was based on the arms of the burgh of Oldmeldrum and the fourth on those of the burgh of Ellon. In the centre of the shield was a gold tower, from Inverurie's burgh arms. Above the arms was a coronet consisting of a gold circlet topped by thistle-heads: a design reserved by Lord Lyon for the arms of district councils.[9]
Local government areas ofScotland, in use 1975 to 1996 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Borders |  | |
| Central | ||
| Dumfries and Galloway | ||
| Fife | ||
| Grampian | ||
| Highland | ||
| Lothian | ||
| Strathclyde | ||
| Tayside | ||
| Island areas1 | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
