A royal burgh () was a type of Scottish

burgh A burgh is an autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland and Northern England, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burg ...

which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished by law in 1975, the term is still used by many former royal burghs.Select Committee on Privileges Second Report, September 1999
/ref> Most royal burghs were either created by the Crown, or upgraded from another status, such as

burgh of barony A burgh of barony was a type of Scottish town (burgh). Burghs of barony were distinct from royal burghs, as the title was granted to a landowner who, as a tenant-in-chief, held his estates directly from the crown. (In some cases, they might also ...

. As discrete classes of burgh emerged, the royal burghs—originally distinctive because they were on royal lands—acquired a monopoly of foreign trade. An important document for each burgh was its burgh

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...

, creating the burgh or confirming the rights of the burgh as laid down (perhaps verbally) by a previous monarch. Each royal burgh (with the exception of four 'inactive burghs') was represented in the Parliament of Scotland and could appoint

bailie A bailie or baillie is a civic officer in the local government of Scotland. The position arose in the burghs, where bailies formerly held a post similar to that of an alderman or magistrate (see bailiff). Baillies appointed the high constables i ...

s with wide powers in civil and criminal justice.George S Pryde, ''The Burghs of Scotland: A Critical List'', Oxford, 1965. The four inactive burghs were Auchtermuchty, Earlsferry, Falkland and Newburgh By 1707 there were 70 royal burghs. The Royal Burghs Act 1833 reformed the election of the town councils that governed royal burghs. Those qualified to vote in parliamentary elections under the

Reform Act 1832 The Representation of the People Act 1832 (also known as the 1832 Reform Act, Great Reform Act or First Reform Act) was an Act of Parliament, Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom (indexed as 2 & 3 Will. IV c. 45) that introduced major chan ...

were now entitled to elect burgh councillors.

Origins

Before the reign of David I Scotland had no towns. The closest thing to towns were the larger than average population concentrations around large monasteries, such as Dunkeld and

St Andrews St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fou ...

, and regionally significant fortifications. Scotland, outside Lothian at least, was populated by scattered hamlets, and outside that area, lacked the continental style nucleated village. David I established the first burghs in Scotland, initially only in

Middle-English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English p ...

-speaking Lothian (note:

Tain Tain ( Gaelic: ''Baile Dhubhthaich'') is a royal burgh and parish in the County of Ross, in the Highlands of Scotland. Etymology The name derives from the nearby River Tain, the name of which comes from an Indo-European root meaning 'flow'. The ...

claims a charter dating from 1066 under Malcolm III) . The earliest burghs, founded by 1124, were Berwick and Roxburgh. However, by 1130, David had established burghs in Gaelic areas: Stirling,

Dunfermline Dunfermline (; sco, Dunfaurlin, gd, Dùn Phàrlain) is a city, parish and former Royal Burgh, in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city currently has an estimated population of 58,508. Accord ...

, Perth and Scone, as well as Edinburgh. The conquest of Moray in that same year led to the establishment of burghs at Elgin and Forres. Before David was dead, St Andrews, Montrose, and Aberdeen were also burghs. In the reigns of Máel Coluim IV and William, burghs were added at

Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...

, Banff, Cullen, Auldearn,

Nairn Nairn (; gd, Inbhir Narann) is a town and 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 tradit ...

, Inverurie, Kintore, Brechin, Forfar,

Arbroath Arbroath () or Aberbrothock ( gd, Obar Bhrothaig ) 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 ENE of Dundee and SSW of Aberdeen. The ...

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

, Lanark,

Dumfries Dumfries ( ; sco, Dumfries; from gd, Dùn Phris ) is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is located near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth about by road from the ...

and (uniquely for the west coast) Ayr. New Lothian burghs also came into existence, at Haddington and Peebles. By 1210, there were 40 burghs in the Scottish kingdom. Rosemarkie, Dingwall and Cromarty were also burghs by the Scottish Wars of Independence. David I established the first burghs, and their charters and ''Leges Burgorum'' (rules governing virtually every aspect of life and work in a burgh) were copied almost verbatim from the customs of Newcastle upon Tyne. He essentially imported the burgh into his "Scottish" dominions from his English ones. Burghs were for the most part populated by foreigners, rather than native Scots or even Lothianers. The predominant ethnic group were the Flemings, but early burgesses were also English, French and German. The burgh's vocabulary was composed totally of either Germanic terms (not necessarily or even predominantly English) such as ''croft'', ''rood'', ''gild'', ''gait'' and ''wynd'', or French ones such as ''provost'', ''bailie'', ''vennel'', ''port'' and ''ferme''. The councils that governed individual burghs were individually known as ''lie doussane'', meaning the dozen.

List of burghs

The list is based on the following references.

By 1153 (royal)

* Aberdeen * Berwick-upon-Tweed (before 1124) *

* Lanark (1140) * Edinburgh *

* Elgin * Forres * Linlithgow * Montrose * Peebles * Perth (took precedence over all other burghs except Edinburgh) * Rutherglen * Roxburgh (Created a royal burgh c.1124. By the fifteenth century it had decayed, and on the destruction of Roxburgh Castle in 1460 it ceased to exist. Part of Roxburgh was included in the burgh of barony of Kelso in 1614, and in 1936

Lord Lyon The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grant ...

recognised Kelso as the successor to the royal burgh.) * Stirling *

By 1153 (Burghs passing between the king and other lords)

* Haddington (granted to Ada, Countess of Northumberland between 1139 and 1178) *

Renfrew Renfrew (; sco, Renfrew; gd, Rinn Friù) is a town 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 ...

(before 1153 had been granted to Walter Fitzalan, High Steward of Scotland, reconfirmed as royal burgh 1397)

By 1153 (Burghs controlled by other lords)

Canongate The Canongate is a street and associated district in central Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. The street forms the main eastern length of the Royal Mile while the district is the main eastern section of Edinburgh's Old Town. It began ...

(now part of Edinburgh) *

By 1214 (royal)

* Ayr * Auldearn * Cullen *

* Forfar * Inverkeithing *

* Jedburgh * Kinghorn * Kintore * Lauder *

By 1214 (Burghs passing between the king and other lords)

* Crail * South Ribble Lancashire

By 1214 (Burghs controlled by other lords)

* Annan (a royal burgh by 1532) *

* Brechin *

* Glasgow *

Kirkintilloch Kirkintilloch (; sco, Kirkintulloch; gd, Cair Cheann Tulaich) is a town and former barony burgh in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It lies on the Forth and Clyde Canal and on the south side of Strathkelvin, about northeast of central Glasgow. ...

* Prestwick

Burghs created by Alexander II

* Dingwall (1226) (later became a burgh of barony of the Earl of Ross 1321, re-established as a royal burgh in fifteenth century) * Dumbarton (1222)

By 1300 (royal)

Auchterarder Auchterarder (; gd, Uachdar Àrdair, meaning Upper Highland) is a small town located north of the Ochil Hills in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, and home to the Gleneagles Hotel. The High Street of Auchterarder gave the town its popular name of "Th ...

(status had been lost by 1707) * Cromarty (appears to have become a burgh of barony under the Earl of Ross 1315, re-established as a royal burgh 1593) * Fyvie * Kilrenny * Lanark * Rosemarkie * Selkirk * Wigtown

By 1300 (Burghs controlled by other lords)

Crawford Crawford may refer to: Places Canada * Crawford Bay Airport, British Columbia * Crawford Lake Conservation Area, Ontario United Kingdom * Crawford, Lancashire, a small village near Rainford, Merseyside, England * Crawford, South Lanarkshire, a ...

(had ceased to exist by 16th century) * Dunbar (became a royal burgh 1445) * Inverurie (became a royal burgh 1558) *

Irvine Irvine may refer to: Places On Earth Antarctica *Irvine Glacier *Mount Irvine (Antarctica) Australia *Irvine Island *Mount Irvine, New South Wales Canada *Irvine, Alberta * Irvine Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom *Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotla ...

(became a royal burgh 1372) * Kelso (never became a royal burgh) * Lochmaben (a royal burgh by 1447) * Newburgh, Aberdeenshire (never became a royal burgh) * Newburgh, Fife (became a royal burgh in 1631) * Urr (short-lived)

Early 14th century

* Cupar (by 1327) * Inverbervie (1342)

Burghs created by Robert II

* Banff (1372) * North Berwick (1373; suppressed by William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas, current charter 1568)

Burghs created by Robert III

* Rothesay (1400/1)

Burghs created by James II

* Dunbar (1445) * Falkland (1458) * Kirkcudbright (1455) * Lochmaben (date unknown) *

c 1439

Burghs created by James III

* Elgin (1457) (royal burgh status lost in 1312 restored) * Kirkwall (1486) *

(1476) (royal burgh status lost in 1312 restored)

Burghs created by James IV

* Dingwall (1497/8) (re-established) * Forres (1496) (charter restored royal burgh status lost in 1312, although it may have been a ''de facto'' royal burgh) * Kintore (1506/7) (re-erected as a royal burgh) * Whithorn (1511)

Burghs created by James V

* Annan (1538/9) (status confirmed) *

Auchtermuchty Auchtermuchty ( ; , 'upland of the pigs/boar') is a town in Fife, Scotland. It is beside Pitlour Hill and north of Glenrothes. History Until 1975 Auchtermuchty was a royal burgh, established under charter of King James V in 1517. There is ...

(1517) *

Burntisland Burntisland ( , sco, also Bruntisland) is a former royal burgh and parish in Fife, Scotland, on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to the 2011 census, the town has a population of 6,269. It was previously known as Wester Kingho ...

(1541) * Pittenweem (1541)

Burghs created by Mary, Queen of Scots

* Inverurie (1558) (restored lost royal burgh status)

Burghs created by James VI

* Anstruther Easter (1583) * Anstruther Wester (1587) *

(1599) * Cromarty (1593) (re-established). Disenfranchised by

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

1672. Later re-established as a burgh of barony in 1685. * Culross (1592) * Earlsferry (1589) (charter confirmed status since time immemorial) * Glasgow (1611) (had been a ''de facto'' previously) * Fortrose (1590) became part of royal burgh of Rosemarkie 1592 * Kilrenny (1592) (The burgh was included in roll of royal burghs by mistake and continued to enjoy that status, despite attempting to resign it) * Rosemarkie (1592) by union of royal burgh of Fortrose and burgh of barony of Rosemarkie re-established as royal burgh of Fortrose 1661 *

(1620) (confirmation of ''de facto'' status) * Sanquhar (1598) *

Stranraer Stranraer ( , in Scotland also ; gd, An t-Sròn Reamhar ), also known as The Toon, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located in the historical parish of Inch in the historic county of Wigtownshire. It lies on the shores of L ...

(1617) * Wick (1589)

Burghs created by Charles I

* Brechin (1641) (''de facto'' status ratified by parliament) *

Dornoch Dornoch (; gd, Dòrnach ; sco, Dornach) 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 ...

(1628) * Fortrose (1661) (reforming of royal burgh of Rosemarkie) * Inveraray (1648) *

Kirkcaldy Kirkcaldy ( ; sco, Kirkcaldy; gd, Cair Chaladain) 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, ...

(1644) (although ''de facto'' since 1574) * New Galloway (1630) *

South Queensferry Queensferry, also called South Queensferry or simply "The Ferry", is a town to the west of Edinburgh, Scotland. Traditionally a royal burgh of West Lothian, it is administered by the City of Edinburgh council area. It lies ten miles to the nort ...

(1636) * Newburgh, Fife (1631)

Burghs created by William II

Campbeltown Campbeltown (; gd, Ceann Loch Chille Chiarain 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 ...

(1700)

20th century

(1951) (reinstated as a royal burgh) * Elie and Earlsferry (1930) (formed by union of royal burgh of Earlsferry and police burgh of Elie) *

Kilrenny, Anstruther Easter and Anstruther Wester Kilrenny, Anstruther Easter and Anstruther Wester was a royal and small burgh in Fife, Scotland from 1930 to 1975. The burgh was formed by the amalgamation of three neighbouring royal burghs of Kilrenny, Anstruther Easter and Anstruther Wester ...

(formed by union of three royal burghs 1930)

Abolition and status since 1975

The rights of the royal burghs were preserved (if not guaranteed) by Article XXI of the Treaty of Union between Scotland and England of 1707, which states "That the Rights and Privileges of the Royal Boroughs in Scotland as they now are Do Remain entire after the Union and notwithstanding thereof". Royal burghs were abolished in 1975 by the

Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c. 65) is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered local government in Scotland on 16 May 1975. The Act followed and largely implemented the report of the Royal Commission on Local Gove ...

, and the above-mentioned Article XXI, which was thus rendered redundant, has been deemed by Her Majesty's Government to be abrogated by the 1973 Act. The towns are now sometimes referred to officially as "former royal burghs", for instance by the

Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland Boundaries Scotland is an independent body in Scotland created as the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. According to its website, it is responsible for: carrying out reviews of boun ...

. The issue of the future status of royal burghs was discussed during debate on the Local Government Bill. In the Commons on 4 December 1972

Ronald Murray Ronald "Flip" Murray (born July 29, 1979) is a retired American professional basketball player who last played for Al Mouttahed Tripoli of the Lebanese Basketball League. He is a , point guard– shooting guard. After attending Strawberry Mans ...

, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Edinburgh, Leith, stated

''Most of the well-known cities and towns of Scotland became royal burghs by Charter. The Bill does not say that those Charters are removed or are of no legal effect, but Schedule 24 repeals the legislation upon which they appear to stand. I hope that the Government do not intend to abolish entirely the ancient rights of royal burghs, at least to be royal burghs.'

In June 1973, David Steel (MP for Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles), unsuccessfully introduced an amendment that

''the title of "Provost" shall attach to the chairman of any community council which is based on any existing burgh .. to .. carry forward a title which appears, for example, in the Royal Charters of those burghs"''.

In 1977 Alick Buchanan-Smith (MP for North Angus and Mearns) asked

Frank McElhone Francis Patrick McElhone (5 April 1929 – 22 September 1982) was a Scottish Labour Party politician. McElhone was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow Gorbals in a 1969 by-election. He served until the constituency was abolished ...

, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland:

''why a community council for a former Royal burgh is not able to use the words "Royal Burgh" in its title; and what scope there is for the continuance of historical titles under the present organisation of local authorities.''

In reply McElhone stated:

''The title which may be used by a community council is a matter for the district council to decide when drawing up the scheme for community councils in its area. Section 23 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 governs any change of name of region, islands or district councils. There is no statutory ban to the continuance of historic titles for other purposes.''

Accordingly, some community councils established since 1975 have the term "Royal Burgh" incorporated in their title. Lord Lyon has permitted the armorial bearings of a number of royal burghs to be rematriculated by community councils.R M Urquhart, ''Scottish Civic Heraldry 2'', Hamilton, 2001