Moray
| |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms | |
 Moray shown withinScotland | |
| Coordinates:57°25′N3°15′W / 57.417°N 3.250°W /57.417; -3.250 | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Scotland |
| Lieutenancy area |
|
| Unitary authority | 1 April 1996 |
| Administrative HQ | Elgin |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council |
| • Body | Moray Council |
| • Control | No overall control |
| • MPs | 2 MPs |
| • MSPs | 2 MSPs |
| Area | |
• Total | 864 sq mi (2,238 km2) |
| • Rank | 8th |
| Population (2022)[2] | |
• Total | 94,280 |
| • Rank | 24th |
| • Density | 110/sq mi (42/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| ISO 3166 code | GB-MRY |
| GSS code | S12000020 |
| Website | moray |
Moray (/ˈmʌri/listenⓘ;Scottish Gaelic:Moireibh orMoireabh) is one of the 32council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on theMoray Firth, and borders the council areas ofAberdeenshire andHighland. Its council is based inElgin, the area's largest town. The main towns are generally in the north of the area on the coastal plain. The south of the area is more sparsely populated and mountainous, including part of theCairngorms National Park.
The council area is named after thehistoric county ofMoray (called Elginshire prior to 1919), which was in turn named after the medievalProvince of Moray, each of which covered different areas to the modern council area. The modern area of Moray was created in 1975 as a lower-tierdistrict within theGrampian Region. The Moray district became a single-tier council area in 1996.
The name, first attested around 970 asMoreb, and in Latinised form by 1124 asMoravia, derives from the earlier Celtic forms *mori 'sea' and *treb 'settlement' (c.f.Welshmôr-tref).[3]
During theMiddle Ages, theProvince of Moray was much larger than the modern council area, also covering much of what is nowHighland. During this period Moray's status fluctuated; it was sometimes an independent kingdom, and at other times avassal ofAlba (early Scotland) to the south. In the early 12th century, Moray's last independent ruler,Óengus of Moray, was defeated byDavid I of Scotland, and the area was then absorbed into the Kingdom of Scotland.[4] It was divided into theshires ofElginshire,Nairnshire and the mainland parts ofInverness-shire.[5] Elginshire was seen as the core of the old Moray territory and so was often informally called Moray. In 1919 Elginshire County Council renamed the county Moray.[6]
The modern territory called Moray was created in 1975 under theLocal Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which abolished Scotland's counties,burghs andlandward districts and replaced them with a two-tier system ofregions and districts. The new Moray district covered ten of the twelve previous districts of the county of Moray plus over half of the area of the neighbouring county ofBanffshire to the east:[7][8]
From the county of Moray
From Banffshire
The only two districts from the pre-1975 county of Moray that were not included in the new Moray district were the burgh ofGrantown-on-Spey and the surroundingCromdale district, which went instead to theBadenoch and Strathspey district of theHighland region. This area had been a comparatively recent addition to the county, having been part of Inverness-shire until 1870.[9] The eastern parts of Banffshire not included in the new Moray district went to the Banff and Buchan district. Moray District Council was a district-level authority, with regional-level functions provided by theGrampian Regional Council, based inAberdeen.[8]
The districts and regions created in 1975 were abolished in 1996, under theLocal Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 and replaced with single-tiercouncil areas. The Moray district became one of the new council areas.[10]
The boundaries of the pre-1975 county of Moray are still used for some limited official purposes connected with land registration, being aregistration county.[11] The Moraylieutenancy area covers the parts of the pre-1975 county that are within the modern council area (being the pre-1975 county excluding Cromdale and Grantown-on-Spey). The Banffshire lieutenancy area covers the pre-1975 county, which therefore straddles the modern Moray andAberdeenshire council areas.[12]
Moray Council is based at the Council Offices in Elgin, formerly the offices of the old Moray and Nairn Joint County Council.
Moray is represented in large part by theMoray West, Nairn and Strathspey constituency,[13] and in small part by theAberdeenshire North and Moray East constituency.[14] The MP for the Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey constituency isGraham Leadbitter of theSNP, and the MP for the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East constituency isSeamus Logan of the SNP.
For theScottish Parliament, the majority of Moray is in theMoray constituency and theHighlands and Islands electoral region. The eastern corner of Moray (consisting of theBuckie ward and the eastern part of theKeith and Cullen ward) is instead in theBanffshire and Buchan Coast constituency and theNorth-East Scotland electoral region.
In the2014 Scottish independence referendum, Moray voted 'No' by an above-average percentage of 57.6%. In the2016 European Union membership referendum, Moray voted 'Remain' by a 50.1% margin. It had the biggest percentage for 'Leave' out of all the Scottish council areas and the narrowest margin of victory for either side anywhere in the UK.
The large majority of Moray's population live in the northern part of the district; only one of its eight wards covers the glens to the south.Elgin is by far the largest town, being home to 25% of the population at the 2011 census.
Largest settlements by population:
| Settlement | Population (2020)[15] |
|---|---|
| Elgin | 25,040 |
| Forres | 9,900 |
| Buckie | 9,010 |
| Lossiemouth | 6,840 |
| Keith | 4,610 |
| Burghead | 1,840 |
| Lhanbryde | 1,830 |
| Fochabers | 1,770 |
| Hopeman | 1,710 |
| Dufftown | 1,590 |
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There are 45primary and eightsecondary schools in Moray and the council currently has responsibility for educating more than 13,000 pupils. The council's community learning and development team is also involved in arranging a wide range of classes and courses for adult learners. The council also currently operates 15public libraries, all with free internet and e-mail access, and two mobile libraries, which service users in more remote areas.
Moray is also home to theUniversity of the Highlands and Islands affiliatedMoray College, and toGordonstounindependentboarding school and its accompanyingpreparatory school,Aberlour House.
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Moray Council is also responsible for the maintenance of 1,000 miles of roads, 450 miles of footpaths, 468 bridges, 16,000 street lights and 10,500 road signs.{{[16]}}
As a housing authority, Moray Council manages nearly 6,000 council properties and operates acouncil house waiting list. It also provides housing which has been specially designed, built, or adapted to meet the requirements of certain groups, such as the elderly and those with special needs. The council's development control section, which is part of the environmental services department, deals with thousands of planning applications every year from individuals and organisations seeking permission to erect buildings or adapt existing ones.[relevant?]
In 2020, Scotland had the highest number of drug-related deaths in Europe, almost 3.5 times higher than the rest of the UK.[17]
Figures from the National Records of Scotland show there were 17 drug deaths in the Moray area in 2018 compared to 7 the year before. That compares to 10 in both 2016 and 2015, 2 in 2014 and 5 in 2013. The 2018 figures for the Moray area were the highest since records began in 1996, mirroring the national picture.
In 2019, 12 drug-related deaths were reported - 5 fewer than the record high of the previous year.[18] This represents a drug-related death rate per 1,000 people of 0.12. By comparison, the death rate in neighbouring Aberdeenshire per 1,000 people was 0.08; inDundee it was 0.36 (the highest in the country); inGlasgow it was 0.35 (the second highest in the country); the lowest in Scotland wasOrkney with a rate of 0.06.[18]
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Approximately 50,000tonnes of waste is collected from homes and commercial properties in Moray.[citation needed] Households in many communities benefit from a kerbside recycling service.[relevant?] There are over 60 recycling points located throughout Moray in addition to eight larger recycling centres.
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The working population of Moray in 2003 was nearly 40,000: of whom around 34,000 were employees and 6000 self-employed. Of these 34,000, 31% were employed in the public sector, compared with 27% for Scotland and 25% for the UK (theRAF personnel are not included in these figures). Only 18% of jobs are managerial or professional, compared to 25% for Scotland.
Thegross value added (GVA)[19] in Moray was £1.26 billion in 2003. This corresponds to an output of £14,500 per resident and was 6% below the average forScotland and 12% below that of theUK.
The diagrams show the strong reliance on the food and drink industry, i.e. the distilling, canned food and biscuit manufacturing industries. The public sector is also very prominent. Of the total GVA of £1.26 billion, food and drink is responsible for 19% while 3% is theScottish figure and 2% for the UK. Moray is responsible for 9% of the entire food and drink GVA of Scotland. Significant areas where Moray has a larger than average share of national markets are in tourism, forest products, textiles and specialised metal working. In contrast, however, Moray is significantly underrepresented in the business services area at 15% of GVA, while it is 19% for Scotland and 25% for the UK.
In March 2014 a tourism strategy was launched by the Moray Economic Partnership aimed at doubling the £95m industry over the next decade.[20] In June 2014 a website (morayspeyside.com) was launched under the auspices of the MorayChamber of Commerce to support the strategy and provide a one-stop shop for visitors.[21][22]
Compared to Scottish or British levels, average incomes in Moray are low. The average wage in 2003 was £286 per week, which was 12% below the Scottish average and 18% below the British (these statistics exclude the armed forces). These figures reflect the large amount of part-time employment, with fewer qualified workers and less managerial and professional jobs. 16% of residents commute outwards, which is relatively high. Of these, two-thirds work in Aberdeen or Aberdeenshire, mainly in the oil and gas industry. These outward commuters earn significantly more than local workers.
In 2004, there were around 2,500VAT registered businesses in Moray, with 75% of businesses employing fewer than five people and about half of firms with a turnover of less than £100,000. 60% of employees are employed in small firms, compared to 48% for Scotland as a whole.
Moray's major companies export their products to other British regions and abroad and many of the smaller companies have direct involvement with neighbouring economies in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, and Highland. Also, a large outward-commuting workforce (estimated to be in excess of 5,000 people) derives its income from the neighbouring centres ofAberdeen andInverness.
Note: 2003 and 2004 data at SCOTDAT was the most up-to-date, as of August 2006
An inhabitant of Moray, especially the historicMormaer of Moray, is called, 'Moravian.'[23]
Source: General Register Office for Scotland.[24]
| Ethnic Group | 2001[25] | 2011[25][26] | 2022[27] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| White: Total | 86,175 | 99.12% | 92,263 | 98.89% | 91,055 | 97.60% |
| White:Scottish | 69,948 | 80.46% | 72,470 | 77.68% | 68,785 | 73.73% |
| White:Other British | 14,629 | 16.83% | 16,823 | 18.03% | 18,674 | 20.02% |
| White:Irish | 409 | 0.47% | 430 | 0.46% | 514 | 0.55% |
| White:Gypsy/Traveller[note 1] | – | – | 79 | 0.08% | 87 | 0.09% |
| White:Polish[note 1] | – | – | 985 | 1.06% | 1,080 | 1.16% |
| White:Other | 1,189 | 1.37% | 1,476 | 1.58% | 1,915 | 2.05% |
| Asian,Asian Scottish orAsian British: Total | 402 | 0.46% | 599 | 0.64% | 913 | 0.98% |
| Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British:Indian | 71 | 0.08% | 101 | 0.11% | 199 | 0.21% |
| Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British:Pakistani | 124 | 0.14% | 149 | 0.16% | 152 | 0.16% |
| Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British:Bangladeshi | 17 | – | 16 | – | 57 | 0.06% |
| Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British:Chinese | 151 | 0.17% | 164 | 0.18% | 201 | 0.22% |
| Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British:Asian Other | 39 | – | 169 | 0.18% | 298 | 0.32% |
| Black,Black Scottish orBlack British[note 2] | 19 | – | – | – | – | – |
| African: Total | 36 | – | 88 | 0.09% | 156 | 0.17% |
| African:African,African Scottish orAfrican British | – | – | 78 | 0.08% | 13 | – |
| African:Other African | – | – | 10 | – | 147 | 0.16% |
| Caribbean orBlack: Total | – | – | 57 | 0.06% | 111 | 0.12% |
| Caribbean | 54 | 0.06% | 43 | 0.05% | 44 | 0.05% |
| Black | – | – | 11 | – | 15 | – |
| Caribbean or Black:Other | – | – | 3 | – | 52 | – |
| Mixed or multiple ethnic groups: Total | 150 | 0.17% | 232 | 0.25% | 708 | 0.76% |
| Other: Total | 104 | 0.12% | 56 | 0.06% | 352 | 0.38% |
| Other:Arab[note 1] | – | – | 26 | 0.03% | 116 | 0.12% |
| Other: Any other ethnic group | – | – | 30 | – | 236 | 0.25% |
| Total: | 86,940 | 100.00% | 93,295 | 100.00% | 93,293 | 100.00% |
The first records on language use in the area indicate that in 1705, most of Moray except for the coast was described as "Wholly Irish & Highland Countreys" and "Ye Irish Parishes in which both languages are spoken."[28] By 1822,Scottish Gaelic had weakened in the area, with only the far south of Moray reporting that, at most, 10% of the population were speaking Gaelic better than English.[28] Records towards the end of the 19th century improved and show that between 1881 and 1921 the percentage of Gaelic speakers in Moray fluctuated as shown in the following table:
| Year | Gaelic speakers (%) |
|---|---|
| 1881 | 2.63 |
| 1891 | 5.64 |
| 1901 | 4.48 |
| 1911 | 2.98 |
| 1921 | 2.08 |
| 1991[29] | 0.56 |
Since then, it has been consistently below 1%. It was largely replaced byDoric and latterlyScottish English.[citation needed]
Local government areas ofScotland, in use 1975 to 1996 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Borders |  | |
| Central | ||
| Dumfries and Galloway | ||
| Fife | ||
| Grampian | ||
| Highland | ||
| Lothian | ||
| Strathclyde | ||
| Tayside | ||
| Island areas1 | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
