Stirlingshire's origins as a shire (the area administered by a sheriff) are obscure, but it seems to have been created during the reign of David I (reigned 1124–1153), who had also made Stirling a burgh. The precise extent of the early shire is unknown; it is thought that it originally covered a relatively small area in the immediate vicinity of Stirling itself, but subsequently gained territory from neighbouring shires, notably from West Lothian to the south and Dunbartonshire to the south-west.[4] The boundary with Dunbartonshire in particular was altered several times. In the thirteenth century an area north-east of Loch Lomond was transferred from Dunbartonshire to Stirlingshire, whilst the two parishes of Kirkintilloch and Cumbernauld were transferred from Stirlingshire to Dunbartonshire, despite not adjoining the rest of Dunbartonshire. These changes were reversed in 1504, when Kirkintilloch and Cumbernauld were restored to Stirlingshire and the area north-east of Loch Lomond went back to Dunbartonshire, but the change was short-lived, being reverted again in 1509.[5]
Commissioners of Supply were established in 1667 to act as the main administrative body for the shire. Elected county councils were established in 1890 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, taking most of the functions of the commissioners (which were eventually abolished in 1930). The burgh of Stirling was deemed capable of managing its own affairs and so was excluded from the administrative area of the county council, although the county council still chose to base itself there.[6] Stirlingshire County Council held its first meeting on 22 May 1890 at the County Buildings (which also served as the sheriff court) on Barnton Street in Stirling, which had been built in 1875.[7][8]
The 1889 act also led to a review of boundaries, with several exclaves being transferred to a county they actually bordered, and parishes which straddled more than one county being adjusted such that each parish was entirely in a single county. These changes saw Stirlingshire cede Milngavie to Dunbartonshire, Alva to Clackmannanshire, and part of the parish of Lecropt to Perthshire. In return Stirlingshire gained Cambuskenneth from Clackmannanshire, the part of Kippen parish which had been in Perthshire, and all of an adjusted Logie parish (which had previously straddled Stirlingshire, Clackmannanshire and Perthshire).[9]
Old Viewforth, Pitt Terrace, Stirling: headquarters of Stirlingshire County Council after 1931
Until 1930 the county council met at the County Buildings.[10] Reforms in 1930 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 saw the burgh of Stirling brought within the administrative area of the county council, and the county council take over the functions of the formerly separate Stirlingshire Education Authority. The education authority had bought the former Royal Infirmary building at 33 Spittal Street in Stirling in 1929 to use as its headquarters.[11] The county council moved its meeting place to Spittal Street in 1930, but still needed more office space for its staff. In 1931 the council bought a house called Viewforth on Pitt Terrace, where it built a large extension including a council chamber, which was completed in 1937. Viewforth then served as the county council's headquarters until its abolition in 1975.[12][13][14]
Further local government reforms in 1996 saw the regions and districts created in 1975 abolished and replaced with council areas providing all local government services. Since 1996 the area of the pre-1975 county of Stirlingshire has straddled the four council areas of East Dunbartonshire, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, and Stirling.[17]
The pre-1975 boundaries of Stirlingshire are still used for some limited official purposes connected with land registration, being a registration county.[18]
Coat of arms
Stirlingshire County Council was granted a coat of arms by Lord Lyon King of Arms on 29 September 1890. The design of the arms commemorated the Scottish victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in the county.
On the silver saltire on blue of St Andrew was placed the rampant red lion from the royal arms of Scotland. Around this were placed two caltraps and two spur-rowels recalling the use of the weapons against the English cavalry.[19]
On the abolition of the county council in 1975, the arms were regranted to Stirling District Council. They were regranted a second time in 1996 to the present Stirling Council, with the addition of supporters (a goshawk and a wolf).
Geography
Stirlingshire occupies a strategic position on the Forth-Clydeisthmus commanding the main overland routes from Glasgow and Edinburgh up to central and northern Scotland.
Ben Lomond looking north across Loch Lomond at the waterline
The Carron Valley Reservoir in central Stirlingshire
Central Stirlingshire contains the Carron Valley Reservoir and the Campsie Fells, Kilsyth Hills and Gargunnock Hills, with the larger towns such as Lennoxtown and Kilsyth spread out along the southern border and A891/A803 roads. The south-western corner of the county around Milngavie (transferred to Dunbartonshire in 1891) abuts the Greater Glasgow conurbation and contains several small reservoirs and lochs, such as Burncrooks Reservoir, Kilmannan Reservoir, Carbeth Loch, Craigallian Loch, Dumbrock Loch, Mugdock Loch, Mugdock/Craigmaddie Reservoir and Bardowie Loch.
The area east of the M80 is generally much flatter and contains the bulk of the county's population, with the Firth of Forth providing access to the North Sea.
Transport
The bulk of Stirlingshire's motorway network lies in the eastern third of the county where the population is most concentrated; these include the M80 running north–south and connecting Stirling and Denny to Cumbernauld, and the M9 linking the eastern towns to Edinburgh. Various A roads form a circle around central Stirlingshire, with the rest of the county served by B roads.
Various ferries enable passengers to cross Loch Lomond in the far west, and the Kincardine Bridge in the far east provides access to Fife and Clackmannanshire.
Only the eastern third of the county is connected by rail, although Milngavie railway station was in the far south-west of Stirlingshire when first built, being transferred to Dunbartonshire in 1891. The railways in the east connect the towns there to each other and on to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cumbernauld and Perth.
Subdivisions
Burghs
Map of Stirlingshire in 1975, showing the position of burghs in the county.
The Burgh of Grangemouth (a police burgh from 1877) (6)
The Burgh of Kilsyth (a burgh of barony from 1620, a police burgh from 1878) (3)
The royal burgh of Stirling was administratively independent from the county council until 1930. In 1930 Stirling was brought into the administrative area of the county council, and Stirling and Falkirk were both designated large burghs, giving them the power to run many (but not all) local government services. The remaining four burghs became small burghs, with more limited powers.
Parishes
Map A: Civil parishes in Stirlingshire in use for local government until 1930.Map B: Stirlingshire Civil Parish map.[20]
Civil parishes are still used for some statistical purposes, and separate census figures are published for them. As their areas have been largely unchanged since the 19th century this allows for comparison of population figures over an extended period of time.
In 1894 parish councils were established for the civil parishes, replacing the previous parochial boards. The parish councils were abolished in 1930, after which the parishes had no administrative functions.
Landward districts
In 1930 the landward area of the county (the part outside the burghs) was divided into eight districts.[23] These districts were abolished in 1975.[24]
Central No.1
Central No.2 (Denny, Dunipace and Kilsyth areas)
Eastern No.1 (parishes of Airth and Larbert)
Eastern No.2 (Falkirk and Slamannan)
Eastern No.3 (parishes of Polmont and Muiravonside)
Western No.1
Western No.2
Western No.3 (Baldernock, Campsie, Strathblane)
Towns and villages
Some Stirlingshire towns listed in the Registers of Scotland, Land Register Counties.[1]
In 1918 seats in the House of Commons were redistributed. Stirlingshire was thereafter represented by three members of parliament.
The burghs of Stirling, Falkirk and Grangemouth formed the Stirling and Falkirk burghs constituency. in 1974 the constituency was renamed Stirling, Falkirk and Grangemouth.
The eastern part of the county (defined in 1948 and 1970 as the Eastern No. 1, Eastern No. 2 and Eastern No. 3 Districts) was combined with Clackmannanshire to form Clackmannan and East Stirlingshire.
The remainder of the county was included in the constituency of West Stirlingshire (named Stirling and Clackmannan West until 1945). The area included in the constituency was defined in 1948 and 1970 as the burghs of Bridge of Allan, Denny and Dunipace and Kilsyth; and the Central No. 1, Central No. 2, Western No. 1, Western No. 2 and Western No. 3 districts.[25]
These boundaries continued in use until 1983, when new constituencies were formed based on the Local Government regions and districts created in 1975.
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