Wigtown District was created on 16 May 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which established a two-tier structure of local government across Scotland comprising upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts.

The district covered all of the former administrative county of Wigtownshire plus the parishes of Kirkmabreck and Minnigaff from Kirkcudbrightshire.

[a][1] The 1973 Act named the new district as "Merrick" after the mountain which formed the new district's highest point, but the name was changed to Wigtown prior to the new system coming into force in 1975.

The council continues to use the former Wigtown district as an area committee, alongside committees for the other three abolished districts of Annandale and Eskdale, Nithsdale, and Stewartry.

Throughout the council's existence a majority of the seats were held by independents:[5] Wigtown District Council was based at Ashwood House on Sun Street in Stranraer, which had been the main offices of the former Wigtownshire County Council prior to 1975.