Visit the UK: Counties of Scotland

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In Scotland, the term county is now officially used to mean the Registration Counties that are used for land registration.

Local government is operated by a separate subdivision of the country into Council Areas.

And, finally, another subdivision of the country, into Lieutenancy Areas, is used for the ceremonial Lord Lieutenants, the representatives of the UK monarch in Scotland.

Registration Counties in Scotland

The Registration Counties in Scotland were defined by the Land Registration (Scotland) Act 1979, and were based on the counties as they had existed in the previous legislation, the Land Registers (Scotland) act 1868.
The Registration Counties of Scotland are:

County of Renfrew
County of Dumbarton
County of Lanark
County of the Barony and Regality of Glasgow
County of Clackmannan
County of Stirling
County of West Lothian
County of Fife
County of Aberdeen
County of Kincardine
County of Ayr
County of Dumfries
County of Kirkcudbright
County of Wigtown
County of Angus
County of Kinross
County of Perth
County of Berwick
County of East Lothian
County of Peebles
County of Roxburgh
County of Selkirk
County of Argyll
County of Bute
County of Midlothian
County of Inverness
County of Nairn
County of Banff
County of Caithness
County of Moray
Counties of Orkney and Zetland
County of Ross and Cromarty
County of Sutherland

Council Areas of Scotland

The Council Areas were created by the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, and have existed since April 1 1996. The act as unitary authorities, and are often known as councils.
The Council Areas of Scotland are:

Aberdeen City
Aberdeenshire
Angus
Argyll and Bute
Clackmannanshire
Dumfries and Galloway
Dundee City
East Ayrshire
East Dunbartonshire
East Lothian
East Renfrewshire
City of Edinburgh
Falkirk
Fife
Glasgow City
Highland
Inverclyde
Midlothian
Moray
North Ayrshire
North Lanarkshire
Perth and Kinross
Renfrewshire
Scottish Borders
South Ayrshire
South Lanarkshire
Stirling
West Dunbartonshire
West Lothian
Na h-Eileanan Siar
Orkney Islands
Shetland Islands

Lieutenancy Areas of Scotland

The Lieutenancy Areas of Scotland are the areas used for the ceremonial Lord Lieutenants, the representatives of the UK monarch in Scotland.
The Lord Provosts of the cities Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, and Glasgow are the Lord Lieutenants for their area. All other Lord Lieutenants in the UK are appointed by the Monarch, rather than being elected politicians.
The Lieutenancy Areas of Scotland are: