County Road Trusts
In the early 19th century highway construction and maintenance outwith the burghs was the responsibility variously of statute labour trustees, commissioners of supply, turnpike trusts and justices of the peace. The inconvenience of this system led several counties to obtain local acts for the abolition of turnpike trusts and statute labour assessments, in favour of a single county road trust, which would then be responsible for all public roads in the landward area.[1] In 1859 the Royal Commission on Public Roads in Scotland reported on the management of roads, commenting on the inconvenience and expense of multiple acts of parliament for short sections of roads and the conflicting interest of different trusts, and recommended replacing these with a county road board.[2] The Roads and Bridges (Scotland) Act 1878 made this system general throughout Scotland.[3] All turnpike roads, statute labour roads, highways and bridges in the landward area of a county were to be under the control of a single trust composed of commissioners of supply and a small number of elected trustees.[4] Tolls and statute labour assessments were abolished in favour of a uniform rate imposed on owners and occupiers of lands and heritages.
In 11 counties, where a local act of parliament had already abolished turnpikes and statute labour and formed a road trust, the 1878 Act was not compulsory. These were Aberdeen, Argyll, Banff, Caithness, Elgin, Kirkcudbright, Nairn, Peebles, Ross and Cromarty, Wigtown and Zetland.
County road trusts (including those of the 11 counties which did not adopt the 1878 Act) were abolished in 1890 and their duties transferred to county councils acting through district committees.[5] There were also special provisions for roads purposes in the detached portion of Dunbartonshire and at the boundaries of Aberdeen, Banff and Elgin.[6]
Surviving records of county road trusts are generally found in local authority archives services, sometimes among county council records. The National Records of Scotland holds some records of county road trusts.
Compilers; SCAN contributors (2000) Editor: Elspeth Reid (2021)
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References
[1] Report of the Commissioners for inquiring into matters relating to public roads in Scotland (Murray & Gibb/HMSO, 1859).
[2] Ibid pp. cci-ccv.
[3] Roads and Bridges (Scotland) Act 1878 (41 & 42 Vict. c.51).
[4] Roads and Bridges (Scotland) Act 1878 (41 & 42 Vict. c.51). s.12.
[5] Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 (52 & 53 Vict. c.50).
[6] Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 (52 & 53 Vict. c.50) ss.40-41.