Cities of Scotland

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Scotland has eight cities. Edinburgh is the capital city and Glasgow is the most populous. Scottish towns were granted burghs or royal burgh status by Scottish kings, including by David I of Scotland and William the Lion.

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City status has later been granted by royal charter and letters patent. Scotland has gained new cities since the year 2000 via submitted bids to be awarded city status as part of jubilees of the reigning British monarch or for other events, such as the millennium celebrations. Dunfermline is the latest to be awarded city status.

List of Scottish cities

Name in English [1] Name in Scottish GaelicNickname [1] Council areaYear granted or confirmedRecognition of Church by King or bishopric establishedPopulation [1]
Edinburgh Dùn ÈideannAuld Reekie City of Edinburgh Edinburgh, High Kirk of St. Giles ('St. Giles Cathedral') - geograph.org.uk - 4168020.jpg

St Giles' Cathedral

495,360
Perth PeairtThe Fair City Perth and Kinross
  • 1124 as a royal burgh [6]
  • 1210 as a royal burgh [7] [8]
  • 1600 as a city [8]
  • (Ended city status in 1975) [9]
  • 2012 as a city [9]
St John's Kirk - geograph.org.uk - 2683004.jpg

St John's Kirk

  • Grant from King David in 1126 [10]
50,000
Aberdeen Obar DheathainThe Granite City Aberdeen City
  • As a royal burgh in ~1124 [11]
  • As a royal burgh in 1179 [12]
  • 1891 as a city [13] [14]
St Machar's Cathedral, Old Aberdeen - geograph.org.uk - 2638325.jpg

St Machar's Cathedral

197,000
Inverness Inbhir NisThe Capital of the Highlands Highland Old High Church of Inverness - geograph.org.uk - 4955051.jpg

Old High Church St Stephen's

47,000
Stirling SruighleaGateway to the Highlands Stirling
  • 1124 as a royal burgh [6]
  • 2002 as a city [22]
Dunblane Cathedral - geograph.org.uk - 1829589.jpg
Dunblane Cathedral
37,000
Dunfermline Dùn PhàrlainThe Ancient Capital Fife
  • ~1124 as a royal burgh [6]
  • 2022 as a city [24]
Dunfermline Abbey - geograph.org.uk - 2599053.jpg

Dunfermline Abbey

54,990
Glasgow GlaschuDear Green Place Glasgow City Cathedrale-st-mungo-Glasgow.jpg

Glasgow Cathedral

  • First stone building was consecrated in ~1136 in the presence of King David I and his Court when John (1117-1147) was Bishop. [30]
598,830
Dundee Dùn DèCity of Discovery Dundee City Dundee City Churches (St Mary's)-geograph-2679665.jpg

Dundee Parish Church (St Mary's)

150,000

Population and population density

CityPopulation (locality)(mid-2020 est.) [34] Population (settlement)(mid-2020 est.) [34] Locality area km2 [35] Settlement area km2 [36] Density (locality) per km2Density (settlement) per km2
Glasgow

632,350

1,028,220

14727443003750
Edinburgh

506,520

530,990

11912642604210
Aberdeen

198,590

220,690

60.775.632702920
Dundee

148,210

158,820

46.550.231903160
Dunfermline

54,990

76,210

19.928.827602650
Inverness

47,790

63,730

24.331.319702040
Perth

47,350

47,350

17.517.527102710
Stirling

37,910

49,950

16.320.923302390

Capital

Forteviot

Dauid mac Mail Choluim, King of Scots Malcolm IV, King of Scotland, charter to Kelso Abbey, 1159, initial (crop David I).jpg
Dauíd mac Maíl Choluim, King of Scots

The annals of Ulster cite Forteviot as the residence of Pictish kings Causantín mac Fergusa and Kenneth MacAlpin and that upon the destruction of Forteviot by the Danes, the Picts took residence across the river Tay, establishing Scone as a more defensible royal city. [37]

Scone

Causantín mac Áeda, King of Scots held the first recorded council at Scone in 906. [38] Malcolm IV of Scotland in a charter to the monastery of Scone states i was founded "in principali sede regni nostri". [39] Alexander III of Scotland became the first King of Scots to be crowned rather than enthroned in 1249 at Scone. [38] Scone was described by John of Fordun on the crowning of as the "sedes superior", the principal seat of Scotland. [39] Perth was made a royal burgh by David I of Scotland in ~1124. [6] Scone is likely to have remained the Scottish capital until the reign of Malcolm III of Scotland. [37]

Edinburgh

Scone remained the capital until 1437 until this status shifted to Edinburgh. The name Edinburgh comes from the old Celtic for area, Eidyn and burgh, which means fortress. Edinburgh has been inhabited since at least 8500BC inhabited by Welsh-speaking Celtic Britons and came under Scottish rule around 960CE after Indulf King of Scots seized it. [40] When James I of Scotland was killed in 1437, James II of Scotland moved the royal court from Perth to Edinburgh. [41] James III of Scotland (1451–88) later referred to it as "the principal burgh of our kingdom". [42] In 1633 Charles I referred to Edinburgh in a charter as the "principal burgh of our kingdom of Scotland" and "the chief city". [43]

City status

Uilleam an Leomhann (William the Lion) William the Lion.jpg
Uilleam an Leòmhann (William the Lion)

Glasgow was recognised in 1175 via the granting of a burgh in a charter by William the Lion. [27] [28] In 1476, Charter of James III of Scotland confirmed "the City and Barony in free regality". [29]

Edinburgh was recognised as a royal burgh from ~1124, introduced by David I of Scotland as part of his feudalisation after ascending to the throne in 1124. [44] In 1329, Robert the Bruce granted Edinburgh a town charter. [45] It was then made a city in 1633 by Charles I. [3]

Dundee was created a royal burgh in ~1191 by William the Lion. [31] Dundee was then granted city status via letters patent by Queen Victoria in 1889. The Charter recited previous charters granted to Dundee including the Confirmation by Robert the Bruce in 1327, which recited those of William the Lion circa 1191. [32] [46]

Aberdeen was granted royal burgh status by King David of Scotland (1124 - 1153). [11] It was also most likely granted royal burgh status by King William the Lion in 1179. [12] In 1891 Aberdeen was given city status by letters patent. [14] [13]

Inverness was made a royal burgh by King David I. [17] [18] In 2000, Inverness was awarded city status. [19]

Stirling became a royal burgh in ~1124. [6] In 2002 it became a city. [22]

Perth was made a royal burgh by David I of Scotland in ~1124. [6] James VI's Golden Charter to Perth in 1600 referred to it as a "free city and regal and royal burgh". [47] It was officially the second city of Scotland until 1975 when city status was removed when local government was reorganised. It regained the status in 2012. [48]

Dunfermline was also made a royal burgh in ~1124 by David I of Scotland. [6] In 2022 it became the newest Scottish city. [24]

Recent bids

St Andrews Cathedral St Rule's Tower & Western Turrets from St Andrews Cathedral's Former Courtyard.jpg
St Andrews Cathedral

In 1999, Ayr, Inverness, Paisley and Stirling applied for city status and Inverness was successful in 2000. [49]

In 2001, Ayr, Dumfries, Paisley and Stirling applied for city status. [50] Stirling was successful in 2002. [22]

In 2012, Perth was the only Scottish bid for city status and was successful. [51]

Dumfries, Dunfermline, Elgin, Greenock, Livingston, Oban, St Andrews and South Ayrshire submitted bids for city status in 2021. [52] Dunfermline was successful in its city bid for 2022. [24]

See also

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