| Administrative History | Highland Regional Council was established under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c.65). A two-tier system of local government was instituted with Regional Councils responsible for functions including social work, education, electoral registration, roads, valuation and rating, water and sewerage, police and fire; and District Councils responsible for functions such as building control, leisure and recreation, housing and environmental health.
The Council was elected in 1974 and acted as a shadow authority until May 1975, when it assumed full administrative responsibilities from the former Inverness County Council, Ross and Cromarty County Council, Sutherland County Council, Caithness County Council, Nairn County Council, Moray County Council, Argyll County Council and the Joint County Council of Moray and Nairn; as well as from the former Town Councils of the burghs of Cromarty, Dornoch, Dingwall, Fortrose, Fort William, Grantown-on-Spey, Invergordon, Inverness, Kingussie, Nairn, Tain, Thurso and Wick.
Highland Regional Council along with the various District Councils was abolished by the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994 (c.39) and replaced in 1996 by the new single-tier Highland Council. Some functions, including water and sewerage, were removed from local government and arrangements were made for others to be carried out by the successor authorities jointly. For Highland Regional Council the successor authorities were Highland Council and North of Scotland Water Authority. Highland Council was also responsible for development control and was combined with the Islands Councils for the purposes of police and fire. |