The Highland Council Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd | |
|---|---|
 Coat of Arms | |
.svg) Council logo | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Derek Brown since 4 September 2023[3] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 74 councillors |
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Political groups |
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Length of term | Full council elected every 5 years |
| Elections | |
| Single transferable vote | |
Last election | 5 May 2022 |
Next election | 6 May 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
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| Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road,Inverness, IV3 5NX | |
| Website | |
| www | |
The Highland Council (Comhairle na GàidhealtachdScottish Gaelic pronunciation:[ˈkʰõ.ərˠʎənəˈkɛːəl̪ˠt̪əxk]) is thelocal authority forHighland, one of the 32council areas of Scotland. The council is based at theHighland Council Headquarters inInverness.
The Highland area had been created as an administrative area in 1975 under theLocal Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which established a two-tier structure oflocal government comprising upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. Highland Regional Council was the upper-tier authority, and the region also contained eight districts, calledBadenoch and Strathspey,Caithness,Inverness,Lochaber,Nairn,Ross and Cromarty,Skye and Lochalsh andSutherland.[4]
Further local government reform in 1996 under theLocal Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 saw the area's districts and the regional council abolished, with a newunitary authority created covering the same area as the former Highland Region.[5] Until 2007, the new council maintained decentralised management and committee structures which related to former district boundaries. New management and committee structures, involving three corporate management areas and related committees, were created at the same time as the introduction of multi-member wards and single transferable vote elections in 2007.
The1995 election created a council of 72 members, each elected from a single-member ward by thefirst past the post system of election. Ward boundaries were redrawn for the1999 election, to create 80 single-member wards and, again, election was by the first past the post system. The same wards and the same system of election were used for the2003 election. For the2007 election, ward boundaries were redrawn again, under theLocal Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, to create the 22 multi-member wards, each electing three or four councillors by the single transferable vote system, but still electing a total of 80 councillors. For the2017 election, the number of wards was reduced to 21, and the total number of councillors to 74. New ward boundaries were proposed byBoundaries Scotland in 2021 which would have reduced the total number of councillors to 73, however these were rejected by theScottish Parliament.[6]
The council has been a member of theIslands Forum since 2022.
The council has been underno overall control since 2007. Following the2022 election theSNP formed the largest group with 22 councillors; this was the first time since the council's inception thatindependent councillors did not form the largest grouping. The SNP and some of the independent councillors subsequently formed a coalition to run the council.[7]
The first election to the Highland Regional Council was held in 1974, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new system came into force on 16 May 1975. A shadow authority was again elected in 1995 ahead of the reforms which came into force on 1 April 1996. Political control of the council since 1975 has been as follows:[8]
Highland Regional Council
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent | 1975–1996 | |
The Highland Council
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent | 1996–2007 | |
| No overall control | 2007–present | |
The role ofconvener is largely ceremonial in Highland. They chair full council meetings and act as the council's civic figurehead. Since 2008, political leadership has been provided by theleader of the council.[9] The leaders since 2008 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Foxley[9][10] | Liberal Democrats | 2008 | May 2012 | |
| Drew Hendry[11][12] | SNP | May 2012 | May 2015 | |
| Margaret Davidson[13][14][15] | Independent | 11 Jun 2015 | May 2022 | |
| Raymond Bremner[16][7] | SNP | 26 May 2022 | ||
Following the2022 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to August 2025, the composition of the council was:[17]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| SNP | 21 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 15 | |
| Conservative | 6 | |
| Green | 4 | |
| Labour | 2 | |
| Alba | 1 | |
| Independent | 25 | |
| Total | 74 | |
Of the independent councillors, sixteen form the 'Highland Independent' group, which is in coalition with the SNP to form the council's administration. Eight sit as the 'Highland Alliance' group, and the other is not aligned to a group.[17] The next election is due in 2027.[18]
The council is based at theHighland Council Headquarters on Glenurquhart Road, in Inverness.[19] The oldest part of the building was originally a school, which was completed in 1876.[20] The complex was bought by the old Inverness-shire County Council in the 1930s and was significantly extended in the 1960s.[21] Inverness-shire County Council had held its meetings atInverness Castle, but the council chamber there was too small to accommodate the Highland Regional Council created in 1975. The regional council therefore used the Glenurquhart Road building as its main offices, but initially held its meetings in the larger council chamber at the formerRoss and Cromarty County Council's headquarters atCounty Buildings, Dingwall. A new council chamber was subsequently built at Glenurquhart Road in 1986.[22] The council also has numerous area offices.[23]
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As of 2017, there are 21wards, each of which is represented by 3 or 4 councillors. Ward forums are held by the councillors representing each ward: these meetings are open to the public.[24] A Ward Manager is appointed to each ward or group of wards.[25] Each ward receives a small discretionary budget that is managed by the ward manager.[24]
The councillors representing groups of wards also sit asarea committees, each covering areas which to some extent correspond with former local government boundaries. There are area committees for thecounties ofCaithness,Sutherland andNairnshire, as well the city ofInverness. The remaining area committees coverBadenoch and Strathspey, theBlack Isle,Dingwall and Seaforth,Easter Ross,Lochaber, theIsle of Skye andRaasay, andWester Ross,Strathpeffer andLochalsh.[26]
List of wards:
For lists of historic wards and details of how they were grouped into corporate and ward management areas, see: