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List of towns and cities in Scotland by population

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Map of Scotland showing some of the major towns and cities

This list of towns and cities in Scotland with a population of more than 15,000 is ordered by population, as defined and compiled by the National Records of Scotland organisation. Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland by population, whilst the capital city, Edinburgh, is the second largest by population and largest by area (although the Aberdeen and Edinburgh local authority areas contain far more undeveloped land and have a lower population density than the council areas of Dundee and Glasgow; these are the only four city-districts in the country). The city of Stirling has the smallest population amongst Scotland's cities, with an estimated population of just over 37,000 inhabitants. In total, Scotland consists of eight cities, with multiple larger towns, the largest town being Paisley.

The section "Localities" contains a list of basic populated areas ordered by population. The section "Settlements" is a list of populated urban areas, some of which are composed of more than one locality, and which may span across the boundaries of more than one council area.

All localities are either settlements themselves, or contained within larger settlements. As of 2020, there are 656 localities in Scotland, and 514 settlements (i.e. 142 of the localities combine as elements of larger settlements).[1]

Localities

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In Scotland, "locality" refers to a populated area composed of contiguous postcodes with populations of at least 500.[a][2] The 52 localities with a population over 15,000 are listed below.[1]

Glasgow is the most populous locality in Scotland, and also the largest city; Greater Glasgow is the largest settlement.
Paisley is the fifth most populous locality in Scotland, and the largest town by population.
Stirling has the smallest population of Scotland's cities.
Kilmarnock is the 14th most populous locality in Scotland, and the largest in East Ayrshire.
Edinburgh, the capital city, is the second largest locality and settlement by population.
Aberdeen is both the third largest locality and settlement.
Motherwell is the 24th most populous locality, but anchors a defined settlement covering much of North Lanarkshire that is Scotland's 5th largest.
Rank Locality Population (2020)[3] Status Council area
1 Glasgow

632,350

City Glasgow City
2 Edinburgh

506,520

City City of Edinburgh
3 Aberdeen

198,590

City Aberdeen City
4 Dundee

148,210

City Dundee City
5 Paisley

77,270

Town[4] Renfrewshire
6 East Kilbride

75,310

Town South Lanarkshire
7 Livingston

56,840

Town West Lothian
8 Dunfermline

54,990

City[5] Fife
9 Hamilton

54,480

Town South Lanarkshire
10 Cumbernauld

50,530

Town North Lanarkshire
11 Kirkcaldy and Dysart

50,370

Town Fife
12 Inverness

47,790

City Highland
13 Perth

47,350

City[6] Perth and Kinross
14 Kilmarnock

46,970

Town East Ayrshire
15 Ayr

46,260

Town South Ayrshire
16 Coatbridge

43,950

Town North Lanarkshire
17 Greenock

41,280

Town Inverclyde
18 Glenrothes

38,360

Town Fife
19 Stirling

37,910

City Stirling
20 Airdrie

36,390

Town North Lanarkshire
21 Falkirk

35,590

Town Falkirk
22 Irvine

34,130

Town North Ayrshire
23 Dumfries

33,470

Town Dumfries and Galloway
24 Motherwell

32,840

Town North Lanarkshire
25 Rutherglen

30,950

Town South Lanarkshire
26 Cambuslang

30,790

Town South Lanarkshire
27 Wishaw

30,050

Town North Lanarkshire
28 Bearsden

28,470

Town East Dunbartonshire
29 Newton Mearns

28,210

Town East Renfrewshire
30 Clydebank

25,620

Town West Dunbartonshire
31 Elgin

25,040

Town[4] Moray
32 Renfrew

24,270

Town Renfrewshire
33 Bishopbriggs

23,680

Town East Dunbartonshire
34 Bathgate

23,600

Town West Lothian
35 Arbroath

23,500

Town Angus
36 Kirkintilloch

21,870

Town East Dunbartonshire
37 Musselburgh

21,100

Town East Lothian
38 Dumbarton

20,480

Town West Dunbartonshire
39 Bellshill

19,700

Town North Lanarkshire
40 Peterhead

19,060

Town Aberdeenshire
41 St Andrews

18,410

Town Fife
42 Bonnyrigg

18,320

Town Midlothian
43 Barrhead

17,890

Town East Renfrewshire
44 Blantyre

16,800

Town South Lanarkshire
45 Penicuik

16,150

Town Midlothian
46 Grangemouth

16,120

Town Falkirk
47 Kilwinning

16,100

Town North Ayrshire
48 Broxburn

15,970

Town West Lothian
49 Johnstone

15,930

Town Renfrewshire
50 Viewpark

15,830

Town North Lanarkshire
51 Larkhall

15,030

Town South Lanarkshire
52 Erskine

15,010

Town Renfrewshire
  1. ^ The definition as per National Records of Scotland does not always correspond to other definitions. For example, the adjoining East Renfrewshire localities of Busby, Clarkston, Netherlee, and Stamperland with a combined population of 21,270 are each counted separately, despite normally being unified as Clarkston. The same occurs in nearby Giffnock and Thornliebank. The total population for this agglomeration across its six NRS localities is 37,690.[1] Conversely, the distinct villages of Easthouses and Newtongrange in Midlothian are not listed at all, presumably included in the figure of adjoining Mayfield; however, the smaller village of Newbattle is listed.[1] Also noteworthy is Viewpark, which appears to include Birkenshaw and Tannochside under a single North Lanarkshire locality in this data.

Settlements

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In Scotland, 'settlement' refers to a collection of contiguous high density postcodes bounded by low density postcodes whose population was 500 or more.[7] For example, the area of Ayr includes the adjoining localities of Ayr, Monkton and Prestwick.[a] However, most settlements coincide to a single locality. The 44 settlements with a population over 15,000 are listed below.[1]

Rank Urban sub-area Population (2020)[8] Localities[b] Council areas
1 Greater Glasgow

1,028,220

Barrhead, Bearsden, Bishopbriggs, Bowling, Brookfield, Busby, Cambuslang, Clarkston, Clydebank, Duntocher & Hardgate, Elderslie, Faifley, Giffnock, Glasgow, Johnstone, Kilbarchan, Linwood, Milngavie, Netherlee, Newton Mearns, Old Kilpatrick, Paisley, Renfrew, Rutherglen, Stamperland, Stepps, Thornliebank Glasgow City,[c] East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire
2 Edinburgh

530,990

Edinburgh, Musselburgh, Wallyford City of Edinburgh,[d] East Lothian
3 Aberdeen

220,690

Aberdeen, Cove Bay, Dyce, Milltimber, Peterculter Aberdeen City[e]
4 Dundee

158,820

Dundee, Monifieth, Invergowrie Dundee City, Angus, Perth and Kinross
5 Motherwell & Wishaw

125,610

Bellshill, Carfin, Holytown, Motherwell, New Stevenston, Newarthill, Newmains, Viewpark, Wishaw North Lanarkshire
6 Falkirk

103,380

Brightons, Carron, Carronshore, Falkirk[f], Grangemouth, Larbert, Laurieston, Maddiston, Polmont, Redding, Reddingmuirhead, Rumford, Stenhousemuir, Wallacestone, Westquarter Falkirk
7 Coatbridge & Airdrie[g]

90,690

Airdrie, Bargeddie, Chapelhall, Coatbridge North Lanarkshire
8 Hamilton

84,450

Blantyre, Bothwell, Hamilton, Uddingston South Lanarkshire
9 Dunfermline

76,210

Crossgates, Dunfermline, Inverkeithing, Rosyth Fife
10 East Kilbride

75,310

East Kilbride South Lanarkshire
11 Livingston

65,770

Livingston, Mid Calder, Polbeth, West Calder West Lothian
12 Greenock

65,690

Gourock, Greenock, Port Glasgow Inverclyde
13 Inverness

63,730

Balloch, Culloden, Milton of Leys, Inverness, Smithton, Westhill Highland
14 Ayr

62,270

Ayr, Monkton, Prestwick South Ayrshire
15 Bonnyrigg, Dalkeith & Gorebridge

54,940

Bonnyrigg, Dalkeith, Gorebridge, Mayfield,[h] Newbattle Midlothian
16 Cumbernauld

52,420

Croy, Cumbernauld North Lanarkshire
17 Kilmarnock

51,370

Crookedholm, Hurlford, Kilmarnock East Ayrshire
18 Kirkcaldy

50,370

Kirkcaldy & Dysart Fife
19 Stirling

49,950

Bannockburn, Bridge of Allan, Stirling Stirling
20 Perth

47,350

Perth Perth and Kinross
21 Glenrothes

44,760

Coaltown of Balgonie, Glenrothes, Leslie, Markinch, Thornton Fife
22 Irvine

37,580

Dreghorn, Irvine North Ayrshire
23 Dumfries

34,040

Dumfries Dumfries and Galloway
24 Saltcoats[i]

31,800

Ardrossan, Saltcoats, Stevenston North Ayrshire
25 Methil, Leven & Buckhaven[j]

30,730

Buckhaven, Kennoway, Leven, Methil, Windygates Fife
26 Kirkintilloch

29,960

Kirkintilloch, Lenzie East Dunbartonshire
27 Bathgate

29,330

Bathgate, Blackburn West Lothian
28 Bonnybridge[k]

25,710

Banknock, Bonnybridge, Denny, Dennyloanhead, Dunipace, Greenhill, Haggs, Head of Muir, High Bonnybridge, Longcroft Falkirk
29 Elgin

25,040

Elgin Moray
30 Vale of Leven

24,130

Alexandria, Balloch & Haldane, Bonhill, Renton West Dunbartonshire
31 Arbroath

23,500

Arbroath Angus
32 Dumbarton

21,030

Dumbarton, Milton West Dunbartonshire
33 Alloa

20,750

Alloa, Sauchie Clackmannanshire
34 Cowdenbeath

19,330

Cowdenbeath, Lochgelly, Lumphinnans Fife
35 Peterhead

19,060

Peterhead Aberdeenshire
36 St Andrews

18,410

St Andrews Fife
37 Erskine

16,830

Erskine, Inchinnan Renfrewshire
38 Larkhall

16,400

Ashgill, Larkhall South Lanarkshire
39 Penicuik

16,150

Penicuik Midlothian
40 Kilwinning

16,100

Kilwinning North Ayrshire
41 Broxburn

15,970

Broxburn West Lothian
42 Galashiels

15,490

Galashiels, Langlee, Tweedbank Scottish Borders
43 Helensburgh

15,160

Helensburgh, Rhu Argyll and Bute
  1. ^ The definition as per National Records of Scotland does not always correspond to other definitions. For example, the Greater Glasgow settlement under NRS stretches as far as Bowling, Kilbarchan and Newton Mearns due to the continuous chain of populated postcodes, but does not encompass places as close as Bargeddie, Chryston, Erskine, Kirkintilloch or Uddingston due to small gaps in this chain. If these gaps were counted, Greater Glasgow would extend as far as Ferniegair, Wishaw, Neilston, Denny, Airdrie and Bishopton. In other examples, Cleland, Gowkthrapple and Overtown are not included in the wider NRS 'Motherwell & Wishaw' settlement while distinct towns such as Bellshill and Viewpark are included, and Inverkeithing and Rosyth are counted in the Dunfermline settlement but Dalgety Bay is not.
  2. ^ As named, defined and grouped by NRS in Localities list above.
  3. ^ Does not include Carmunnock or Gartloch.
  4. ^ Does not include Kirkliston, Newbridge & Ratho Station, Ratho or South Queensferry.
  5. ^ Does not include Kingswells.
  6. ^ Does not include Glen Village/Hallglen.
  7. ^ Often known collectively as Monklands but not referred to as such by NRS.
  8. ^ Mayfield with Easthouses and Newtongrange
  9. ^ Often known collectively as the Three Towns but not referred to as such by NRS.
  10. ^ Often known collectively as Levenmouth but not referred to as such by NRS.
  11. ^ Denny is the settlement's largest locality but Bonnybridge is the name chosen by NRS.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Data Tables [Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland], National Records of Scotland, 31 March 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2022
  2. ^ "NRS – Background Information Settlements and Localities" (PDF). National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  3. ^ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Department of Constitutional Affairs". Retrieved 9 September 2009.
  5. ^ "Dunfermline is now officially a city". Dunfermline Press. 19 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022. 'Letters Patent' will now be prepared which will confer each of the awards formally and will be presented to winners later in the year.
  6. ^ "Perth wins Diamond Jubilee contest to be named seventh Scottish city". BBC News. 14 March 2012.
  7. ^ "A Beginners Guide to UK Geography (2023)". Open Geography Portal. Office for National Statistics. 24 August 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023. Built-up areas of Scotland, where the population is 500 or more, are defined as 'settlements'.
  8. ^ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.