The administrative counties of Scotland were set up in 1889 as areas that county councils would cover.
They resemble the historic counties of Scotland, but not exactly. The most notable difference is the merger of Ross-shire and the fragmentary Cromartyshire into Ross and Cromarty. Generally speaking, exclaves were abolished, the only significant exclave left untouched being the part of Dunbartonshire between Stirlingshire and Lanarkshire.
The administrative counties excluded from their area the four 'counties of cities' in Scotland - Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow. These are not shown on the map below as separate entities.
