There are clearly more than I thought. The one in Dunoon is the only one I have noticed for years. I might need to rethink this one. Perhaps listing those found with a pic of a typical one for each area would be better.
Except for the burghs we didn't have provosts in Lanarkshire though they have two now in the new divided county, its a bit like the two Koreas here noo.
Apollo has a couple of Glasgow ones a brisk walk away.
As far as I recall it was only Burghs that had Provosts. I am trying to get both my memory cells going to recall what the heads of County Councils were called. So far I have been unsuccessful in doing so.
Don't forget that what we refer to as a Provost Light or Provost Lampost originated from the Baillie (or Bailie) Light.
The baillie was a local civic officer in Scottish burghs, roughly equivalent to a baliff, alderman or magistrate in other countries.
It seems Scottish barons often appointed a baillie as their judicial officer, and they were responsible for a jurisdiction called a bailiary (bailiery).
The Provost Lamp fell out of favour in modern times. Formerly attached to the baillie's house, this became somewhat impractical with the advent of tenements and then multi-storey flats, where the holder no longer had a front door that led off the road.
It seems that in some burghs, the custom is-was to leave the holder with one light in place after they relinquished the post, but I can't recall any single lights - but may just failed to have noticed the count - and from memory, can only think of some pairs.
I recently came across what appeared to be another pair in the back streets of Tollcross, but have only seen them through a camera lens, and not (dared) walk down there yet to confirm what may appear on the glass.
It seems that in some burghs, the custom is-was to leave the holder with one light in place after they relinquished the post, but I can't recall any single lights - but may just failed to have noticed the count - and from memory, can only think of some pairs.
Just to confuse things further, the examples in Cambuskenneth, Bannockburn and Raploch have always been single lamps, and the first two were put there as recently as the '70s. One of the former incumbents is long dead, one is retired and the other still serves as a cooncillor.
Single and double may confirm regional differences, but I am sure those who live under Glasgow council will have no doubt that their councillors believed that the chosen amongst them deserved at least two lamps outside their homes to show their importance, and fuelled by taxpayers' electricity too.
At a guess, if Edinburgh could have made a reason for three, then that would have been the custom there
It would be no surprise to learn that the practice began to die off from the 1970's onward, with perhaps a few who saw the award of the light as part of their post insisting that the lights were fitted, so the neighbour's knew they were in the presence of elected royalty.
There was some controversy in Oban a few years ago when the Community Council tried to promote the Chair to Provost of Oban. As far as I remember they did not get away with it.
I suppose most if not all of the cities that are big enough to have their own councils may have Provosts. In the case of Argyll & Bute it would be tricky. Nobody would accept private Walsh as the Provost of Lochgilphhead which is where the Council sits.
Sad to report that my thought about the lights opposite Sandyhills golf course were correct, and they are gone.
Regrettably, when they were there, it was not at a time when I was taking pics, so there is no record.
I can't even recall which house, and thanks to the state of the road, and the installation of cable, there is no evidence on the footpath, which is just a mess, with no sign of where the light may have been.
I was going to carry on for another look at the Tollcross lights I found, but the weatherfolk were spot-on, as usual, and the rain promised to sweep in and get heavier as the afternoon became evening arrived right on cue, almost the moment I walked out the door.
However, when I checked my Tollcross pics, I found that the long distance pic I had grabbed in passing was perfect, despite the distance, and that pair has been captured:
Apparently there were Provost lights near Danny Cairns old house in Kilmarnock near the Bonnyton area. Off West langlands street in the area near the former Barclays railway works offices.
I meant to add that the Siamese twins of North and South Lanarkshire both have 'Provosts' who get their pictures in the papers far more than even the local cooncillors.