View source for Badenoch and Strathspey

{{Short description|Former local government district in Scotland}}
{{about|the district|the ward|Badenoch and Strathspey (ward)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Coord|57.348|-3.702|display=title|region:GB_scale:100000}}
{{Infobox historic subdivision|
|Name=              Badenoch and Strathspey
|HQ=                [[Kingussie]]
|subdivision_type=  [[Districts of Scotland|District]]
|Start=             16 May 1975
|End=               31 March 1996
|Replace=           [[Highland (council area)|Highland]]
|image=             
|Map=               Scot1975BadStrath.png
|membership_title1= Region
|membership1=       [[Highland (council area)|Highland Region]]
}}

[[Image:Badenoch and Strathspey UK location map.svg|thumb|Badenoch and Strathsprey]]
'''Badenoch and Strathspey''' was a [[Districts of Scotland|local government district]], created in 1975 as one of eight districts within the [[Highland (region)|Highland]] region in [[Scotland]]. The district was abolished in 1996 when Highland was made a single-tier [[council areas of Scotland|council area]]. Since then, the [[Highland Council]] has had a Badenoch and Strathspey [[area committee]] covering the area.

==History==
The district was created in 1975 under the [[Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973]], which abolished Scotland's counties, [[burgh]]s and [[landward district]]s and replaced them with a two-tier system of [[Local government areas of Scotland (1975–1996)|regions and districts]]. The new district covered four previous districts, two from [[Inverness-shire]] and two from [[County of Moray|Moray]]:<ref name=1973act>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973|year=1973|chapter=65|accessdate=17 April 2023}}</ref>

''From Inverness-shire''
*[[Badenoch]] [[landward district|district]]
*[[Kingussie]] [[burgh]]

''From Moray''
*[[Cromdale]] district
*[[Grantown-on-Spey]] burgh

Cromdale and Grantown-on-Spey had historically been part of Inverness-shire, but had been transferred to Moray (then called Elginshire) in 1870.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Inverness and Elgin County Boundaries Act 1870 (33 & 34 Vict c. 16) |date=1870 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TnsDAAAAQAAJ&pg=RA6-PA111 |access-date=21 August 2024}}</ref> The new district was named after [[Strathspey, Scotland|Strathspey]], the valley of the [[River Spey]], and the historic [[Provinces of Scotland|province]] of [[Badenoch]]. Badenoch and Strathspey District Council was a district-level authority, with regional-level functions provided by the [[Highland Regional Council]], based in [[Inverness]].<ref name=1973act/>

The districts and regions created in 1975 were abolished in 1996, under the [[Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994]] and replaced with single-tier [[Council areas of Scotland|council areas]]. The Highland region became one of the new council areas.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994|year=1994|chapter=39|accessdate=17 April 2023}}</ref>

The [[Highland Council]] has a number of [[area committee]]s for debating local matters. One of the committees is called the Badenoch and Strathspey Committee, comprising the councillors who represent the [[Badenoch and Strathspey (ward)|Badenoch and Strathspey ward]], which broadly corresponds to the pre-1996 district.<ref name=areacommittee/><ref>{{cite web |title=Quarter-inch Administrative Areas Maps: Scotland, Sheet 5, 1969 |url=https://maps.nls.uk/view/222075470 |website=National Library of Scotland |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=25 August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Election Maps |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/ |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=25 August 2024}}</ref>

==Political control==
The first election to the district council was held in 1974, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the district and its council formally came into being on 16 May 1975. Throughout the council's existence a majority of the seats were held by [[independent politician|independents]]:<ref>{{cite web |title=Compositions calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/?page_id=3825 |website=The Elections Centre |access-date=26 August 2024}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Party in control!!Years
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Independent politician}} || 1975–1996
|}

==Premises==
[[File:Courthouse, Kingussie - geograph.org.uk - 1285552.jpg|thumb|The Courthouse, 36 High Street, [[Kingussie]]: Council's meeting place]]
Badenoch and Strathspey District Council met at the courthouse at 36 High Street in [[Kingussie]], which had been built in 1865.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ross |first1=Duncan |title=Council to spend £3,600 on furniture |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search-newspapers |access-date=26 August 2024 |work=Press and Journal |date=19 February 1981 |location=Aberdeen |page=25}}</ref><ref>{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB36276|desc= Former Kingussie Sheriff Court including pedestrian gate, outbuilding and boundary walls, 36 High Street, Kingussie |access-date=26 August 2024}}</ref> The council had its main administrative offices in converted former railway buildings at [[Kingussie railway station]] on Ruthven Road. There was also an area office at the Town House (also known as the courthouse) on The Square in [[Grantown-on-Spey]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Review of Parliamentary Constituencies in Highland Region |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search-newspapers |access-date=26 August 2024 |work=The Scotsman |date=2 September 1993 |location=Edinburgh |page=18}}</ref>

The buildings passed to the Highland Council on local government reorganisation in 1996. In 2016 Highland Council renovated and extended Kingussie Courthouse to become its main offices in the town, closing the former offices at Kingussie railway station and another council building at 100 High Street.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rammage |first1=Tom |title=Kingussie Courthouse is born again! |url=https://www.strathspey-herald.co.uk/news/kingussie-courthouse-is-born-again-147600/ |access-date=26 August 2024 |work=Strathspey and Badenoch Herald |date=7 September 2016}}</ref> The Highland Council's Badenoch and Strathspey area committee meets at both Kingussie Courthouse and Grantown-on-Spey Town House.<ref name=areacommittee>{{cite web |title=Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee: Agendas, reports and minutes |url=https://www.strathspey-herald.co.uk/news/kingussie-courthouse-is-born-again-147600/ |website=The Highland Council |access-date=26 August 2024}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Politics of the Highland council area]]
**[[Highland Council wards 1995 to 1999]]
**[[Highland Council wards 1999 to 2007]]
**[[Highland Council wards created in 2007]]
*[[Regions and districts of Scotland|Regions and districts of Scotland, 1975 to 1996]]
*[[Council areas of Scotland| Council areas of Scotland, 1996 to present (2007)]]
*[[Aviemore]]
*[[Kingussie]]
*[[Newtonmore]]
*[[Carrbridge]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Former local government regions of Scotland}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Badenoch And Strathspey}}
[[Category:Badenoch and Strathspey| ]]
[[Category:Politics of Highland (council area)]]
[[Category:1996 disestablishments in Scotland]]
[[Category:1975 establishments in Scotland]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1975]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in 1996]]