Councils Want Rethink on Reorganisation as Perth and Kinross Fears Merger With Angus Would Mean Arguing About the Name for Ten Years
Scottish councils urge ministers to think again. Perthshire is already arguing over 'Perthangus', 'Angusperth' and 'Kinrangus'.
Perth and Kinross Council's offices, where nobody wants a new letterhead. Photo: Kenneth Allen, “Perth and Kinross Council Offices, Pitlochry - geograph.org.uk - 776478”, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Scottish councils have asked ministers to rethink plans to reorganise local government, and Perth and Kinross has already started worrying about what any merger would be called.
“If they put us in with Angus, you’d need a new name,” said a retired Crieff surveyor. “Perthangus sounds like a cough. Angusperth sounds like a herd of cattle. Kinrangus sounds like a wrestler. We’d still be arguing about it in 2036.”
Residents in Kinross point out that they already had to share a name with Perth and are “still not over it”. People in Rattray say they were never asked about Blairgowrie. People in Blairgowrie say they were never asked about Rattray.
A local government expert said reorganisation always looks simple on a map. “Then you try to agree which town gets the bin lorries,” he said, “and the whole thing turns into a war.”
Ministers say they will listen. The Perthetic has started a list of names. So far everybody hates all of them, which we think means it’s working.
The real story: Scottish politics (BBC)
Letters to the Editor
The views expressed are those of the reader, and frankly that's on them.
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Rattray was never asked about Blairgowrie. Thank you for finally saying it.
— Derek A., Rattray, 31 October 2026 -
Blairgowrie was never asked about Rattray. Thank you for saying that too.
— Linda F., Blairgowrie, 31 October 2026 -
As someone from Angus, I would like to say we were never asked about any of this either.
— Norrie G., Forfar, 31 October 2026
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