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Royal burghs

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Aberdeen
Aberdeen is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeenshire, but is now separate from the council area of Aberdeenshire. Aberdeen City Council is one of Scotland's 32 local authorities (commonly referred to as councils). Aberdeen has a population of for the main urban area and for the wider settlement including outlying localities, making it the United Kingdom's 39th most populous built-up area. Aberdeen has a long, sandy coastline and features an oceanic climate, with cool summers and mild
Stirling
Stirling (; ; ) is a city in central Scotland, north-east of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The city is surrounded by rich farmland and had a royal citadel, the medieval old town with its merchants and tradesmen, the Old Bridge and the port are all linked in to its history. Situated on the River Forth, Stirling is the administrative centre for the Stirling council area, and is traditionally the county town and historic county of Stirlingshire. Stirling's key position as the lowest bridging point of the River Forth before it broadens towards the Firth of Forth made it a focal point for tr
Perth
city in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, United Kingdom
Ayr
Ayr ( ; ; meaning "confluence of the River Àir") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. A former royal burgh, today it is the administrative centre of South Ayrshire Council, and the historic county town of Ayrshire. With a population of 46,982, Ayr is the 15th largest settlement in Scotland and second largest town in Ayrshire by population. The town is contiguous with the smaller town of Prestwick to the north. Ayr submitted unsuccessful bids for city status in 2000 and 2002, and as part of the wider South Ayrshire area in 2022.
Dunfermline
Dunfermline is a city, parish, and former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland, from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. Dunfermline was the de facto capital of the Kingdom of Scotland between the 11th and 15th centuries.
St Andrews
town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, UK
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed ( ), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census recorded Berwick's population as 12,043.
Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy ( ; ; ) is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It is about north of Edinburgh and south-southwest of Dundee. The town had a recorded population of 49,460 in 2011, making it Fife's second-largest settlement and the 11th most populous settlement in Scotland.
Elgin
former cathedral city and Royal Burgh in Moray, Scotland, UK
Leith
Leith (; ) is a suburb and former port town in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland, lying at the mouth of the Water of Leith. It is home to the Port of Leith.
Dunbar
Dunbar () is a town on the North Sea coast in East Lothian in the south-east of Scotland, approximately east of Edinburgh and from the English border north of Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Irvine
town in North Ayrshire, Scotland, UK
Campbeltown
Campbeltown (; or ) is a town and former royal burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies by Campbeltown Loch on the Kintyre Peninsula. Campbeltown became an important centre for Scotch whisky, and a busy fishing port.
Forfar
Forfar (; , ) is the county town of Angus, Scotland, and the administrative centre for Angus Council, with a new multi-million-pound office complex located on the outskirts of the town. As of 2021, the town had a population of 16,280.
Arbroath
Arbroath () or Aberbrothock ( ) is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the council area of Angus, Scotland, with a population of 23,902. It lies on the North Sea coast, some east-northeast of Dundee and south-southwest of Aberdeen.
Lanark
Lanark ( ; ; ) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, located 20 kilometres to the south-east of Hamilton. The town lies on the River Clyde, at its confluence with Mouse Water. In 2020, the town had a population of 8,880.
Linlithgow
Linlithgow ( ; ; ) is a town in West Lothian, Scotland. It was historically West Lothian's county town, reflected in the county's historical name of Linlithgowshire. An ancient town, it lies in the Central Belt on a historic route between Edinburgh and Falkirk beside Linlithgow Loch. The town is situated approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Edinburgh.
Dingwall
Dingwall (, ) is a town on the Cromarty Firth in Easter Ross in the Highlands of Scotland. It has enjoyed the status of royal burgh since the 13th century, and its local government is the Highland Council. The town has a population of 5,491, and though today it lies inland, its topography used to be that of an east-coast harbour. At one time, it was a significant medieval port, a hub of foreign trading and customs collection. Dingwall’s medieval history affirms its status as an important country town and administrative centre, an extension perhaps of its history as a Viking settlement as evide
Haddington
The Royal Burgh of Haddington (, ) is a town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is the main administrative, cultural and geographical centre for East Lothian. It lies about east of Edinburgh. The name Haddington is Anglo-Saxon, dating from the sixth or seventh century AD when the area was incorporated into the Kingdom of Bernicia. The town, like the rest of the Lothian region, was ceded by King Edgar of England and became part of Scotland in the tenth century. Haddington received Burgh status, one of the earliest to do so, during the reign of David I (1124–1153), giving it trading rights which enco
Stranraer
Stranraer ( ), also known as The Toon or The Cleyhole, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, on Loch Ryan and the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland. Stranraer is Dumfries and Galloway's second-largest town, with a population of 10,593.
Banff
town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK
Renfrew
Renfrew ( ; ; ) is a town in Renfrewshire, Scotland. It is located west of Glasgow in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is the historic county town of Renfrewshire. Called the "Cradle of the Royal Stewarts" for its early link with Scotland's former royal house, Renfrew gained royal burgh status in 1397.
Nairn
Nairn (; ) is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland Council area of Scotland. It is an ancient fishing port and market town around east of Inverness, at the point where the River Nairn enters the Moray Firth. It is the traditional county town of Nairnshire.
Montrose
coastal resort town and former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland
North Berwick
town in East Lothian, Scotland, UK
Rutherglen
Rutherglen (; , ) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, immediately south-east of the city of Glasgow, from its centre and directly south of the River Clyde. Having previously existed as a separate Lanarkshire burgh, in 1975 Rutherglen lost its own local council and administratively became a component of the City of Glasgow District within the Strathclyde region (along with neighbouring Cambuslang). In 1996 the towns were reallocated to the South Lanarkshire council area.
Tain
Tain ( ) is a royal burgh and parish in the County of Ross, in the Highlands of Scotland.
Inveraray
Inveraray ( or ; meaning "mouth of the Aray") is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Located on the western shore of Loch Fyne, near its head, Inveraray is a former royal burgh and known affectionately as "The Capital of Argyll." It is the traditional county town of Argyll, and the ancestral seat to the Duke of Argyll.
Burntisland
Burntisland ( , ) is a former Royal burgh and parish in Fife, Scotland, on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. It was previously known as Wester Kinghorn or Little Kinghorn. The town has a population of 6,269 (2011). thumb|Burntisland coastal image Burntisland is known locally for its award-winning sandy beach, the 15th-century Rossend Castle, as well as the traditional summer fair and Highland games day. To the north of the town a hill called The Binn is a landmark of the Fife coastline; a volcanic plug, it rises above sea level.
Falkland
town and former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland, UK
Forres
Forres (; ) is a town and former royal burgh in the north of Scotland on the Moray coast, approximately northeast of Inverness and west of Elgin. Forres has been a winner of the Scotland in Bloom award on several occasions. There are many geographical and historical attractions nearby such as the River Findhorn, and there are also classical, historical artifacts and monuments within the town itself, such as Forres Tolbooth and Nelson's Tower. Brodie Castle, the home of the Brodie Clan, lies to the west of the town, close to the A96.
Kirkcudbright
Kirkcudbright ( ; ) is a town at the mouth of the River Dee in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, southwest of Castle Douglas and Dalbeattie. A former royal burgh, it is the traditional county town of Kirkcudbrightshire.
Annan
town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, UK
Dornoch
thumb|240px|right|Dornoch Cathedral 240px|thumb|right|Dornoch Beach Dornoch (; ; ) is a town, seaside resort, parish and former royal burgh in the county of Sutherland in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray Firth to the east.
Cupar
Cupar ( ; ) is a town, former royal burgh and parish in Fife, Scotland. It lies between Dundee and Glenrothes. According to a 2011 population estimate, Cupar had a population around 9,000, making it the ninth-largest settlement in Fife, and the civil parish a population of 11,183 (in 2011). It is the historic county town of Fife, although the council now sits at Glenrothes.
Cromarty
Cromarty (; , ) is a town, civil parish and former royal burgh in Ross and Cromarty, in the Highland area of Scotland. Situated at the tip of the Black Isle on the southern shore of the mouth of Cromarty Firth, it is seaward from Invergordon on the opposite coast. In the 2022 census, it had a population of 672.
Auchterarder
Auchterarder (; , meaning Upper Highland) is a town north of the Ochil Hills in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, and home to the Gleneagles Hotel. It is also once part of the historic county of Perthshire. The High Street of Auchterarder gave the town its popular name of "The Lang Toun" or Long Town.
Cullen
village in Moray, Scotland, UK
Crail
thumb|seal of Crail
Selkirk
town in Scottish Borders, Scotland, UK
South Queensferry
town in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Aberchirder
Aberchirder (pronounced ‘Aberhirder’; , ), known locally as Foggieloan or Foggie, is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, situated on the A97 road six miles west of Turriff.
Inverkeithing
Inverkeithing ( ; ) is a coastal town, parish and historic Royal burgh in Fife, Scotland. The town lies on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, northwest of Edinburgh city centre and south of Dunfermline.
Whithorn
Whithorn (; ), is a royal burgh in the historic county of Wigtownshire in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, about south of Wigtown. The town was the location of the first recorded Christian church in Scotland, "White/Shining House", built by Saint Ninian about 397 CE.
Kintore
town and former royal burgh near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK
Culross
Culross (; Scottish Gaelic: Cuileann Ros, "holly point") is a village and former royal burgh, and parish, in Fife, Scotland.
Auchtermuchty
thumb|Auchtermuchty war memorial in the old market square (by Reginald Fairlie) thumb|The former hotel in Auchtermuchty was a roadside coaching inn c.1750 thumb|The southern part of old Auchtermuchty
Macduff
town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK
Roxburgh
Roxburgh () is a civil parish and formerly a royal burgh, in the historic county of Roxburghshire in the Scottish Borders, Scotland. It was an important trading burgh in High Medieval to early modern Scotland. In the Middle Ages it had at least as much importance as Edinburgh, Stirling, Perth, or Berwick-upon-Tweed, for a time acting as de facto capital (as royal residence of David I).
Lauder
The former Royal Burgh of Lauder (, ) is a town in the Scottish Borders in the historic county of Berwickshire. On the Southern Upland Way, the burgh lies southeast of Edinburgh, on the western edge of the Lammermuir Hills.
Newmilns
Newmilns () is a village in the burgh of Newmilns and Greenholm, in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It has a population of 3,057 people (2001 census) and lies on the A71, around seven miles east of Kilmarnock and twenty-five miles southwest of Glasgow. It is situated in a valley through which the River Irvine runs and, with the neighbouring towns of Darvel and Galston, forms an area known as the Upper Irvine Valley (locally referred to as The Valley).
royal burgh
former type of Scottish burgh
Torry
Torry is a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, lying on the south bank of the River Dee. It was historically part of the county of Kincardineshire and was absorbed into the city of Aberdeen in 1891.