Tayside. From 1973 an administrative region in east Scotland created from the city of Dundee, all Angus and Kinross, and most of Perthshire. The combination of urban and rural populations meant that none of the political parties could be confident of a majority, and Conservative, Labour, and the Scottish National Party have all provided the convenor. In 1996 it was divided into three all-purpose authorities (Angus, Dundee, Perth and Kinross) whose boundaries are almost the same as the previous districts. In addition to survival of older industries—some jute is still woven—agriculture (especially soft fruit), food-processing, and manufacture of hole-in-the-wall cash machines are important to the economy; among the services in which the region specializes are wholesaling and insurance. The most distinctive offerings to tourism are surviving Pictish monuments, castles, and Royal Research Ship Discovery (at Dundee).

A. S. Hargreaves

Tayside Region in e Scotland, bounded n and w by the Grampians and e by the North Sea. The capital is Dundee, and other major cities include Perth, Arbroath, and Montrose. The n of the region is mountainous and the s is low-lying farmland. It is drained by the rivers Tay, Isla, Earn, South Esk, and Ericht. The economy is primarily agricultural, the major products being beef and dairy products. Area: 7502sq km (2896sq mi). Pop. (1998 est.) 389,800.