Midlothian (historic)

Midlothian is a historic county of Scotland. It emerged in the Middle Ages as the territory surrounding the city of Edinburgh within the wider Lothian region, and was formally called the "shire of Edinburgh" or Edinburghshire until the 20th century. It bordered West Lothian (Linlithgowshire) to the west, Lanarkshire, Peeblesshire and Selkirkshire to the south, and East Lothian (Haddingtonshire), Berwickshire and Roxburghshire to the east. Traditional industries included mining, agriculture and fishing, important towns outwith Edinburgh being Dalkeith, Musselburgh and Penicuik. Having always had a degree of autonomy over its own affairs since being made a county of itself in 1482, an Edinburgh City Corporation was formed in 1890, although it remained under Midlothian for some purposes. Conversely, the wider county was still administered within the city.

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 formed a new, smaller district called Midlothian within the Lothian Region, with parts of the county's territory (including all the coastal territory at Musselburgh) went to the City of Edinburgh, East Lothian and West Lothian districts within the Lothian region, and to the Ettrick and Lauderdale district in the Borders region. This then became a standalone local authority area in the most recent major reorganisation enacted in 1996, retaining those same boundaries and name.

History

Following the end of the Roman occupation of Britain, Lothian was populated by Brythonic-speaking ancient Britons and formed part of Gododdin, within the Hen Ogledd or Old North.