# Highland Council wards 1995 to 1999

The first set of Highland Council wards was first used for Highland Council election purposes in 1995, for the first general election of the council. They were replaced with 80 new wards for the second general election in 1999.
The Highland Council (Comhairle na Gaidhealtachd in Gaelic) had become a local government authority in 1996, when the two-tier system of regions and districts was abolished and the Highland region became a unitary council area, under the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994. The first Highland Council election, however, was one year earlier, in 1995. Until 1996 councillors shadowed the regional and district councils and planned for the transfer of powers and responsibilities. Elections to the council are normally on a four-year cycle, all wards being contestable at each election.
For the periods 1995 to 1999 each ward elected one councillor by the first past the post system. The first past the post system continued in use when new wards were introduced in 1999, but the increased number of wards meant an increase in the number of councillors.
The wards used from 1995 to 1999 were subdivisions of eight council management areas, with councillors elected from each area forming an area committee. The wards created in 1999, however, were not exactly subdivisions of the management areas, management area boundaries were not adjusted to take account of new ward boundaries and, therefore, area committees ceased to be exactly representative of areas for which they were named and for which they took decisions.

## Lists of wards, 1995 to 1999

Wards are listed by management area, and are numbered as well as named.

### Badenoch and Strathspey wards

The Badenoch and Strathspey management area consisted of five wards:
| No | Ward | Name term references |
| 61 | Aviemore | Aviemore |
| 62 | Carrbridge and Nethybridge | Carrbridge and Nethybridge |
| 63 | Dulnain Bridge | Dulnain Bridge |
| 64 | Grantown | Grantown-on-Spey |
| 60 | Kingussie and Kincraig | Kingussie and Kincraig |

### Caithness wards

The Caithness management area consisted of eight wards:
| No | Ward | Name term references |
| 7 | Central Caithness | Caithness |
| 5 | North East Caithness | Caithness |
| 4 | Pulteney | Pulteney area of Wick |
| 6 | South East Caithness | Caithness |
| 2 | Thurso East | Thurso |
| 1 | Thurso West | Thurso |
| 8 | West Caithness | Caithness |
| 9 | Wick | Wick |

### Inverness wards

The Inverness management area included Loch Ness, Strathglass and the town of Inverness.
The management area consisted of 20 wards:
| No | Ward | Name term references |
| 46 | Alt Na Sgitheach | Alt Na Sgitheach |
| 53 | Ardersier | Ardersier |
| 39 | Beauly | Beauly |
| 49 | Canal | A section of the Caledonian Canal, running between Loch Ness and the Moray Firth and thus through the town of Inverness |
| 44 | Columba | Columba |
| 52 | Culloden | Culloden |
| 45 | Drommond | Drommond |
| 38 | Drumnadrochit | Drumnadrochit |
| 36 | East Loch Ness | Loch Ness |
| 37 | Fort Augustus | Fort Augustus |
| 47 | Hilton | Hilton |
| 51 | Inshes | Inshes |
| 40 | Kirkhill | Kirkhill |
| 42 | Merkinch | Merkinch |
| 43 | Muirtown | Muirtown |
| 48 | Old Edinburgh | Old Edinburgh |
| 50 | Raigmore | Raigmore |
| 41 | Scorguie | Scorguie |
| 35 | Milton | Milton |
| 35 | Strathnairn and Strathdearn | Strathnairn and Strathdearn |

### Lochaber wards

The Lochaber management area consisted of eight wards:
| No | Ward | Name term references |
| 66 | Ardnamurchan and Morvern | Ardnamurchan and Morvern |
| 68 | Caol | Caol |
| 70 | Claggan and Glen Spean | Claggan and Glen Spean |
| 71 | Fort William South | Fort William |
| 72 | Glencoe and Nether Lochaber | Glencoe and Nether Lochaber |
| 67 | Kilmallie and Invergarry | Kilmallie and Invergarry |
| 65 | Mallaig and the Small Isles | Mallaig and the Small Isles |
| 69 | North Fort William and Inverlochy | Fort William and Inverlochy |

### Nairn wards

The Nairn management area included the town of Nairn but was mostly rural. It consisted of five wards:
| No | Ward | Name term references |
| 56 | Auldearn | Auldearn |
| 57 | Cawdor | Cawdor |
| 54 | East Nairn | Nairn |
| 58 | North Nairn | Nairn |
| 58 | West Nairn | Nairn |

### Ross and Cromarty wards

The Ross and Cromarty management area consisted of 13 wards:
| No | Ward | Name term references |
| 27 | Alness and Ardross | Alness and Ardross |
| 25 | Black Isle East | Black Isle |
| 26 | Black Isle West | Black Isle |
| 29 | Dingwall | Dingwall |
| 23 | Fearn | Hill of Fearn |
| 33 | Gairloch and Garve | Gairloch and Garve |
| 24 | Invergordon | Invergordon |
| 22 | Tain | Tain |
| 28 | Ferindonald | Ferindonald |
| 32 | Lochbroom | Lochbroom |
| 34 | Lochcarron | Lochcarron |
| 31 | Maryburgh | Maryburgh |
| 30 | Ord and Connon | Muir of Ord, Conon Bridge and the River Conon |

### Skye and Lochalsh wards

The Skye and Lochalsh management area included the islands of Skye, Raasay and Scalpay, the village of Kyle of Lochalsh on the mainland, and a rural area to the east of Kyle of Lochalsh. It consisted of six wards:
| No | Ward | Name term references |
| 18 | Broadford | Broadford, Isle of Skye |
| 21 | Dunvegan | Dunvegan |
| 17 | Kyle and Sleat | Kyle and Sleat |
| 16 | Lochalsh | Lochalsh |
| 19 | Portree | Portree |
| 20 | Staffin | Staffin |

### Sutherland wards

The Sutherland management area consisted of seven wards:
| No | Ward | Name term references |
| 10 | Ardgay and Bonar Bridge | Ardgay and Bonar Bridge |
| 15 | Brora and Kildonan | Brora and Kildonan |
| 11 | Central Sutherland | Sutherland |
| 9 | Dornoch | Dornoch |
| 14 | Golspie | Golspie |
| 12 | North West Sutherland | Sutherland |
| 13 | Tongue and Farr | Tongue and Farr |