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).Data Tables [Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland], National Records of Scotland, 31 March 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2022
Localities In Scotland, "locality" refers to a populated area composed of contiguous postcodes with populations of at least 500. The 52 localities with a population over 15,000 are listed below.
RankLocalityPopulation ()StatusCouncil areaHistoric County1GlasgowCityGlasgow CityLanarkshire2EdinburghCityCity of EdinburghMidlothian3AberdeenCityAberdeen CityAberdeenshire4DundeeCityDundee CityAngus5PaisleyTownRenfrewshireRenfrewshire6East KilbrideTownSouth LanarkshireLanarkshire7LivingstonTownWest LothianWest Lothian8DunfermlineCityFifeFife9HamiltonTownSouth LanarkshireLanarkshire10CumbernauldTownNorth LanarkshireLanarkshire11KirkcaldyTownFifeFife12InvernessCityHighlandInverness-shire13PerthCityPerth and KinrossPerth14KilmarnockTownEast AyrshireAyrshire15AyrTownSouth AyrshireAyrshire16CoatbridgeTownNorth LanarkshireLanarkshire17GreenockTownInverclydeRenfrewshire18GlenrothesTownFifeFife19StirlingCityStirlingStirlingshire20AirdrieTownNorth LanarkshireLanarkshire21FalkirkTownFalkirkStirlingshire22IrvineTownNorth AyrshireAyrshire23DumfriesTownDumfries and GallowayDumfriesshire24MotherwellTownNorth LanarkshireLanarkshire25RutherglenTownSouth LanarkshireLanarkshire26CambuslangTownSouth LanarkshireLanarkshire27WishawTownNorth LanarkshireLanarkshire28BearsdenTownEast DunbartonshireDunbartonshire29Newton MearnsTownEast RenfrewshireRenfrewshire30ClydebankTownWest DunbartonshireDunbartonshire31ElginTownMorayMoray32RenfrewTownRenfrewshireRenfrewshire33BishopbriggsTownEast DunbartonshireLanarkshire34BathgateTownWest LothianWest Lothian35ArbroathTownAngusAngus36KirkintillochTownEast DunbartonshireDunbartonshire37MusselburghTownEast LothianMidlothian38DumbartonTownWest DunbartonshireDunbartonshire39BellshillTownNorth LanarkshireLanarkshire40PeterheadTownAberdeenshireAberdeenshire41St AndrewsTownFifeFife42BonnyriggTownMidlothianMidlothian43BarrheadTownEast RenfrewshireRenfrewshire44BlantyreTownSouth LanarkshireLanarkshire45PenicuikTownMidlothianMidlothian46GrangemouthTownFalkirkStirlingshire47KilwinningTownNorth AyrshireAyrshire48BroxburnTownWest LothianWest Lothian49JohnstoneTownRenfrewshireRenfrewshire50ViewparkTownNorth LanarkshireLanarkshire51LarkhallTownSouth LanarkshireLanarkshire52ErskineTownRenfrewshireRenfrewshire
Settlements In Scotland, 'settlement' refers to a collection of contiguous high density postcodes bounded by low density postcodes whose population was 500 or more. For example, the area of Ayr includes the adjoining localities of Ayr, Monkton and Prestwick. However, most settlements coincide to a single locality. The 43 settlements with a population over 15,000 are listed below.
RankUrban sub-areaPopulation ()LocalitiesCouncil areas1Greater GlasgowBarrhead, 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, ThornliebankGlasgow City, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire2EdinburghEdinburgh, Musselburgh, WallyfordCity of Edinburgh, East Lothian3AberdeenAberdeen, Cove Bay, Dyce, Milltimber, Peterculter Aberdeen City4DundeeDundee, Monifieth, InvergowrieDundee City, Angus, Perth and Kinross5Motherwell & WishawBellshill, Carfin, Holytown, Motherwell, New Stevenston, Newarthill, Newmains, Viewpark, WishawNorth Lanarkshire6FalkirkBrightons, Carron, Carronshore, Falkirk, Grangemouth, Larbert, Laurieston, Maddiston, Polmont, Redding, Reddingmuirhead, Rumford, Stenhousemuir, Wallacestone, WestquarterFalkirk7Coatbridge & AirdrieAirdrie, Bargeddie, Chapelhall, CoatbridgeNorth Lanarkshire8HamiltonBlantyre, Bothwell, Hamilton, UddingstonSouth Lanarkshire9DunfermlineCrossgates, Dunfermline, Inverkeithing, RosythFife10East KilbrideEast KilbrideSouth Lanarkshire11LivingstonLivingston, Mid Calder, Polbeth, West CalderWest Lothian12GreenockGourock, Greenock, Port GlasgowInverclyde13InvernessBalloch, Culloden, Milton of Leys, Inverness, Smithton, WesthillHighland14AyrAyr, Monkton, PrestwickSouth Ayrshire15Bonnyrigg, Dalkeith & GorebridgeBonnyrigg, Dalkeith, Gorebridge, Mayfield, NewbattleMidlothian16CumbernauldCroy, CumbernauldNorth Lanarkshire17KilmarnockCrookedholm, Hurlford, KilmarnockEast Ayrshire18KirkcaldyKirkcaldy & DysartFife19StirlingBannockburn, Bridge of Allan, StirlingStirling20PerthPerthPerth and Kinross21GlenrothesCoaltown of Balgonie, Glenrothes, Leslie, Markinch, ThorntonFife22IrvineDreghorn, IrvineNorth Ayrshire23DumfriesDumfriesDumfries and Galloway24SaltcoatsArdrossan, Saltcoats, StevenstonNorth Ayrshire25Methil, Leven & BuckhavenBuckhaven, Kennoway, Leven, Methil, WindygatesFife26KirkintillochKirkintilloch, Lenzie East Dunbartonshire27BathgateBathgate, BlackburnWest Lothian28BonnybridgeBanknock, Bonnybridge, Denny, Dennyloanhead, Dunipace, Greenhill, Haggs, Head of Muir, High Bonnybridge, LongcroftFalkirk29Elgin Elgin Moray30Vale of LevenAlexandria, Balloch & Haldane, Bonhill, RentonWest Dunbartonshire31ArbroathArbroathAngus32DumbartonDumbarton, Milton West Dunbartonshire33AlloaAlloa, SauchieClackmannanshire34CowdenbeathCowdenbeath, Lochgelly, LumphinnansFife35PeterheadPeterheadAberdeenshire36St Andrews St Andrews Fife37ErskineErskine, InchinnanRenfrewshire38LarkhallAshgill, LarkhallSouth Lanarkshire39Penicuik PenicuikMidlothian40Kilwinning KilwinningNorth Ayrshire41BroxburnBroxburnWest Lothian42GalashielsGalashiels, Langlee, TweedbankScottish Borders 43HelensburghHelensburgh, RhuArgyll and Bute
See also Local government in Scotland Subdivisions of Scotland List of towns and cities in England by population List of built-up areas in Wales by population List of settlements on the island of Ireland by population
References