council area
noun /ˈkaʊnsl eəriə/
/ˈkaʊnsl eriə/
- an administrative area in Scotland. From 1975 until 1996, Scotland was divided into nine regions, which operated in a similar way to counties. Each region had two levels of local government: an upper level consisting of a single regional council, and a lower level made up of a number of smaller district councils. The regions were replaced in 1996 by a system in which there are 32 council areas, each with a single council in charge. Some of the council areas, for example Highland, cover a wide area, while others consist of single cities, for example, Glasgow City and the City of Edinburgh. compare unitary authority