This was the first election to the district council following the implementation of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.

The election used 12 wards created by the Formation Electoral Arrangements in 1974.

Each ward elected one councillor using first-past-the-post voting.

The county council had powers and responsibilities over roads, education, police, public health, social services and electoral registration as well as the registration of births, marriages and deaths for the whole county.

[2] Following the recommendations in the Wheatly Report, the old system of counties and burghs – which had resulted in a mishmash of local government areas in which some small burghs had larger populations but far fewer responsibilities than some large burghs and even counties[2] – was to be replaced by a new system of regional and district councils.