List of burghs in Scotland


The following list includes all effective burghs in Scotland from the coming into force of the Burgh Police Act 1892, in 1893. "Ineffective" burghs, which had not used legislation to adopt a "police system", take on local government duties and reform their town councils, were abolished on this date.
Burgh is the Scots term for a town or a municipality. It corresponds to the Scandinavian Borg and the English Borough.
Burghs are listed below under the name of the county to which they belonged. The county boundaries used are those effective for local government purposes from circa 1890 until 1975. During this period four burghs were also counties, or counties of cities

Counties of cities

These four burghs were redesignated as Counties of Cities in 1930
BurghDate of adoption
of police system		Earlier burghal historyPost Union
parliamentary burgh status
Aberdeen royal burgh
1862 Royal burgh from 1124One of the Aberdeen Burghs 1708 to 1832
Aberdeen burgh constituency 1832 to 1885
Dundee royal burgh
1837Royal burgh from 1191–1195One of the Perth Burghs 1708 to 1832
Dundee burgh constituency 1832 to 1950
Edinburgh royal burgh
1805 Royal burgh from 1124–1127Edinburgh burgh constituency 1708 to 1885
Glasgow royal burgh
1800 Royal burgh 1611One of the Clyde Burghs 1708 to 1832
Glasgow burgh constituency 1832 to 1885

Note a: Royal Burgh of Aberdeen absorbed Aberdeenshire burghs of Old Aberdeen burgh, Woodside in 1891.
Note b: Royal Burgh of Glasgow absorbed the following Renfrewshire burghs in the years shown:
Note: The royal burgh of Aberdeen was part of this county until 1900.
BurghDate of adoption
of police system		Earlier burghal historyPost Union
parliamentary burgh status
Inverurie royal burgh1867Royal burgh 1558One of the Elgin Burghs 1708 to 1918
Kintore royal burgh1873Royal burgh 1506-7One of the Elgin Burghs 1708 to 1918
Ballater burgh1891--
Ellon burgh1893Burgh of barony 1707-
Fraserburgh burgh1840Burgh of barony 1546
Burgh of regality 1601		-
Huntly burgh1834Burgh of barony 1488
Burgh of regality 1684		-
Old Meldrum1893Burgh of barony 1671-
Peterhead burgh1860Burgh of barony 1587
Parliamentary burgh 1832		One of the Elgin Burghs 1832 to 1918
RattrayN/ARoyal burgh 1563-
Rosehearty1892Burgh of barony 1681-
Turriff burgh1858Burgh of barony 1512-

Angus">Angus, Scotland">Angus (also known as ''Forfarshire'')

Note: The royal burgh of Dundee was part of this county until 1894.
BurghDate of adoption
of police system		Earlier burghal historyPost Union
parliamentary burgh status
Arbroath royal burgh1836Royal burgh 1599 or perhaps 1555, when Johne Lyne was a commissioner for "Abirbrothok" at a [convention of the royal burghs of Scotland.One of the Aberdeen Burghs 1708 to 1832
and of the Montrose Burghs 1832 to 1950
Brechin royal burgh1893?Royal burgh status ratified 1641One of the Aberdeen Burghs 1708 to 1832
and of the Montrose Burghs 1832 to 1950
Forfar royal burgh1857Created royal burgh c 1123 - 62One of the Perth Burghs 1708 to 1832
and of the Montrose Burghs 1832 to 1950
Montrose royal burgh1833Created royal burgh by c 1124 - 53One of the Aberdeen Burghs 1708 to 1832
and of the Montrose Burghs 1832 to 1950
Broughty Ferry burgh1864–1913 ‡--
Carnoustie burgh1889--
Kirriemuir burgh1834Burgh of barony 1459
Burgh of regality 1670		-
Monifieth burgh1895--

‡ Absorbed by Dundee royal burgh 1913

[Argyll]

[Ayrshire]

[Banffshire]

[Berwickshire]

[Buteshire]

[Caithness]

[Clackmannanshire]

[Dumfriesshire]

[Dunbartonshire]

[East Lothian] (also known as ''Haddingtonshire'')

Edinburghshire

See Midlothian

Elginshire

See Morayshire

[Fife]

† Burghs merged 1929
‡ Dysart absorbed by Kircaldy royal burgh 1930

Forfarshire

See Angus

Haddingtonshire

See East Lothian

[Inverness-shire]

[Kincardineshire]

[Kinross-shire]

[Kirkcudbrightshire]

† Maxwelltown burgh was absorbed by Dumfries royal burgh 1931.

[Lanarkshire]

Note: The royal burgh of Glasgow was part of the county until 1893.
BurghDate of adoption
of police system		Earlier burghal historyPost Union
parliamentary burgh status
Lanark royal burgh1855Created royal burgh 1153 - 59One of the Linlithgow Burghs 1708 to 1832
and of the Falkirk Burghs 1832 to 1918
Rutherglen royal burgh1863Created royal burgh 1124 -53One of the Clyde Burghs 1708 to 1832
and of the Kilmarnock Burghs 1832 to 1918
Airdrie burgh1849Burgh of barony 1821
Parliamentary burgh 1832		One of the Falkirk Burghs 1832 to 1918
Biggar burgh1863Burgh of barony 1451-
Bishopbriggs burgh1964--
Coatbridge burgh1885Created burgh by private act 1885-
East Kilbride burgh1963--
Govan burgh1864–1912 ‡Burgh of barony 1607-
Hamilton burgh1857Burgh of regality 1669One of the Falkirk Burghs 1832 to 1918
Hillhead burgh1869–1891 ‡--
Kinning Park burgh1871–1905 ‡--
Maryhill burgh1856–1891 ‡--
Motherwell burgh1865–1920 †--
Motherwell and Wishaw burgh1920Formed 1920 from two burghs-
Partick burgh1852–1912 ‡--
Wishaw burgh1855–1920 †--

† Burghs merged 1920
‡ Burghs absorbed by Glasgow royal burgh on dates shown

Linlithgowshire

See West Lothian

[Midlothian] (also known as ''Edinburghshire'')

Note: The royal burgh of Edinburgh and its liberties formed a separate county of itself from the thirteenth century.
BurghDate of adoption
of police system		Earlier burghal historyPost Union
parliamentary burgh status
Bonnyrigg burgh1865–1920 †--
Bonnyrigg and Lasswade burgh1930Formed 1930 from two burghs-
Dalkeith burgh1878Burgh of barony 1401
Burgh of regality 1540		-
Lasswade burgh1881–1920 †--
Leith burgh1862–1920 ‡Burgh of barony 1636
Parliamentary burgh 1832		One of the Leith Burghs 1832 to 1918
Loanhead burgh1884Burgh of barony 1669-
Musselburgh burgh1849Burgh of regality 1562
Parliamentary burgh 1832		One of the Leith Burghs 1832 to 1918
Penicuik burgh1866--
Portobello burgh1850–1896 ‡Parliamentary burgh 1832One of the Leith Burghs 1832 to 1918

† Burghs merged 1920
‡ Burghs absorbed by Edinburgh royal burgh in years shown

[Morayshire] (also known as ''Elginshire'')

[Nairnshire]

[Orkney]

[Peeblesshire]

[Perthshire]

† Burghs merged 1930

Renfrewshire">Renfrewshire (historic)">Renfrewshire

† Burghs absorbed by Glasgow royal burgh on dates shown

[Ross and Cromarty] ([Ross-shire] and [Cromartyshire])

[Roxburghshire]

[Selkirkshire]

[Stirlingshire]

[Sutherland]

[West Lothian] (also known as ''Linlithgowshire'')

[Wigtownshire]

Zetland">Shetland">Zetland