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Midlothian

Coordinates: 55°53′39″N 3°04′07″W / 55.89417°N 3.06861°W / 55.89417; -3.06861
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about a municipal district in Scotland. For other uses, see Midlothian (disambiguation).

Midlothian
Lieutenancy and council area
Coat of arms of Midlothian
Coat of arms
Midlothian shown within Scotland
Midlothian shown within Scotland
Coordinates: 55°53′39″N 3°04′07″W / 55.89417°N 3.06861°W / 55.89417; -3.06861
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
CountryScotland
Unitary authority1 April 1996
Administrative HQDalkeith
Government
[1]
 • TypeCouncil
 • BodyMidlothian Council
 • ControlNo overall control
 • MPsKirsty McNeill (L)
 • MSPs
2 MSPs
Area
[2]
 • Total
137 sq mi (354 km2)
 • Rank21st
Population
 (2022)[2]
 • Total
97,030
 • Rank23rd
 • Density710/sq mi (274/km2)
Time zoneUTC+0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
ISO 3166 codeGB-MLN
GSS codeS12000019
Websitemidlothian.gov.uk

Midlothian (/mɪdˈloʊðiən/; Scottish Gaelic: Meadhan Lodainn) is registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh council area, East Lothian and the Scottish Borders. The modern council area was formed in 1975 when the historic county of Midlothian, also known as Edinburghshire, was altered substantially as part of local government reforms; its southern part formed a new Midlothian District within the Region of Lothian, whilst areas on the peripheries were assigned to other districts and the city of Edinburgh, which had always been autonomous to an extent, was formally separated as the City of Edinburgh District. In 1996 Midlothian became a unitary authority area, using the same name and territory as in 1975.

History

[edit]
For the history of the pre-1975 county, see Midlothian (historic).
Map contrasting the area comprising Midlothian council (dark blue) within the historic county of Midlothian (light blue).

Midlothian County Council was abolished in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which abolished Scotland's counties and burghs as administrative areas and created a new two-tier system of upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. Most of Midlothian's territory went to a new district called Midlothian within the Lothian region. The Midlothian district was smaller than the area of the pre-1975 county, parts of which went to other districts:[3][4] Currie, Balerno, Ratho and Newbridge to the city of Edinburgh; Musselburgh burgh and parish of Inveresk (which included the villages of Inveresk, Wallyford and Whitecraig) to East Lothian; East Calder, Mid Calder and West Calder) and the Midlothian part of Livingston to West Lothian; Heriot and Stow parishes to the Ettrick and Lauderdale district of the Borders region.

The boundaries of the historic county of Midlothian, including the city of Edinburgh, are still used for some limited official purposes connected with land registration, being a registration county.[5] The Midlothian lieutenancy area corresponds to the current council area rather than the historic county.[6] The last lord-lieutenant of the county of Midlothian was made lord-lieutenant for the new district of Midlothian when the reforms came into effect in 1975.[7] The former county council's headquarters in Edinburgh became the offices of the new Lothian Regional Council, whilst the Midlothian District Council established its headquarters in Dalkeith.[8]

In 1991 the council built itself a new headquarters called Midlothian House at 40-46 Buccleuch Street in Dalkeith.[9]

The Lothian region was abolished in 1996. The four districts in the region, including Midlothian, became unitary council areas.[10] The reconstituted Midlothian Council continues to be based at Midlothian House in Dalkeith.

Central government

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Midlothian House, Dalkeith

There is a Midlothian constituency of the House of Commons.

There was a Midlothian constituency of the Scottish Parliament up to the 2011 elections when it was divided between Midlothian North and Musselburgh and Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale.

Geography

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The Glencorse Reservoir in the Pentland Hills

The Midlothian council area contains the towns of Dalkeith, Bonnyrigg and Penicuik, as well as a portion of the Pentland Hills Regional Park, Rosslyn Chapel and Dalkeith Palace.

Settlements

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class=notpageimage|
The largest settlements in Midlothian.

Largest settlements by population:

Settlement Population (2020)[11]
Bonnyrigg

18,320

Penicuik

16,150

Dalkeith

14,330

Mayfield

13,690

Gorebridge

8,040

Loanhead

6,820

Danderhall

3,160

Rosewell

2,020

Roslin

1,770

Bilston

1,440

Places of interest

[edit]

Transport

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Midlothian has a modern road network as well as some rural single-track roads. The Borders Railway runs between Tweedbank to Edinburgh, with four stations in Midlothian – Shawfair, Eskbank, Newtongrange and Gorebridge.

Notable people associated with Midlothian

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Further information: Category:People from Midlothian

Schools in Midlothian

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Primary schools

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  • Bilston Primary School, Bilston
  • Bonnyrigg Primary School, Bonnyrigg
  • Burnbrae Primary School, Hopefield
  • Cornbank St James Primary School, Penicuik
  • Cuiken Primary School, Penicuik
  • Danderhall Primary School, Danderhall
  • Gore Glen Primary School, Gorebridge
  • Gorebridge Primary School, Gorebridge
  • Hawthornden Primary School, Bonnyrigg
  • King's Park Primary School, Dalkeith
  • Lasswade Primary School, Lasswade
  • Lawfield Primary School, Mayfield
  • Loanhead Primary School, Loanhead
  • Mauricewood Primary School, Penicuik
  • Mayfield Primary School, Mayfield
  • Moorfoot Primary School, North Middleton
  • Newtongrange Primary School, Newtongrange
  • Paradykes Primary School, Loanhead
  • Rosewell Primary School, Rosewell
  • Roslin Primary School, Roslin
  • Sacred Heart RC Primary School, Penicuik
  • St Andrews's RC Primary School Gorebridge
  • St David's RC Primary School Dalkeith
  • St Luke's RC Primary School, Mayfield
  • St Margaret's RC Primary School, Loanhead
  • St Mary's RC Primary School, Bonnyrigg
  • St Matthew's RC Primary School, Rosewell
  • Stobhill Primary School, Gorebridge
  • Strathesk Primary School, Penicuik
  • Tynewater Primary School, Pathhead
  • Woodburn Primary School, Woodburn

Secondary schools

[edit]

Special schools

[edit]

Twin towns and sister cities

[edit]

Midlothian is twinned with Komárom-Esztergom, Hungary and Kreis Heinsberg, Germany. Since 1978 it is a sister city with Midlothian, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago a town of Illinois.[12]

References

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  1. ^ "Your council". Midlothian Council. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2022". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  3. ^ "Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1973 c. 65, retrieved 24 December 2022
  4. ^ "Boundaries viewer". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  5. ^ "Land Mass Coverage Report" (PDF). Registers of Scotland. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  6. ^ "The Lord-Lieutenants (Scotland) Order 1996", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1996/731, retrieved 16 December 2022
  7. ^ "The Lord-Lieutenants Order 1975", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1975/428, retrieved 27 November 2022
  8. ^ "No. 19730". The Edinburgh Gazette. 2 September 1975. p. 1163.
  9. ^ "Remember when". Edinburgh Evening News. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  10. ^ "Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1994 c. 39, retrieved 16 December 2022
  11. ^ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  12. ^ "Illinois Member List updated June 2015 »". www.illinoissistercities.org. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
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