List of towns and cities in Scotland by population


This is a list of towns and cities in Scotland with a population of more than 15,000, ordered by population, as defined and compiled by the National Records of Scotland organisation.
This article is divided into two sections. The first section of this article contains a list of basic populated areas ordered by population. The second section of this article 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 2016, there are 655 localities in Scotland, of which 466 are also settlements. The remaining localities are contained within 53 settlements.

Localities

In Scotland, locality refers to a populated area composed of contiguous postcodes with populations of at least 500. The 51 localities with a population over 15,000 are listed below.
RankLocalityPopulationStatusCouncil area
1Glasgow612,040CityGlasgow City
2Edinburgh488,050CityCity of Edinburgh
3Aberdeen200,680CityAberdeen City
4Dundee148,280CityDundee City
5Paisley77,220TownRenfrewshire
6East Kilbride75,120TownSouth Lanarkshire
7Livingston57,030TownWest Lothian
8Hamilton54,080TownSouth Lanarkshire
9Dunfermline53,100TownFife
10Cumbernauld50,920TownNorth Lanarkshire
11Kirkcaldy50,010TownFife
12Perth47,430CityPerth and Kinross
13Inverness47,290CityHighland
14Ayr46,780TownSouth Ayrshire
15Kilmarnock46,770TownEast Ayrshire
16Coatbridge43,960TownNorth Lanarkshire
17Greenock42,680TownInverclyde
18Glenrothes38,510TownFife
19Stirling37,610CityStirling
20Airdrie37,410TownNorth Lanarkshire
21Falkirk35,850TownFalkirk
22Irvine34,090TownNorth Ayrshire
23Dumfries33,440TownDumfries and Galloway
24Motherwell32,590TownNorth Lanarkshire
25Rutherglen31,190TownSouth Lanarkshire
26Wishaw30,290TownNorth Lanarkshire
27Cambuslang29,100TownSouth Lanarkshire
28Bearsden28,120TownEast Dunbartonshire
29Newton Mearns26,600TownEast Renfrewshire
30Clydebank26,320TownWest Dunbartonshire
31Elgin24,760TownMoray
32Arbroath23,940TownAngus
33Bishopbriggs23,540TownEast Dunbartonshire
34Bathgate22,920TownWest Lothian
35Renfrew22,570TownRenfrewshire
36Kirkintilloch21,380TownEast Dunbartonshire
37Musselburgh20,840TownEast Lothian
38Dumbarton20,560TownWest Dunbartonshire
39Bellshill20,290TownNorth Lanarkshire
40Peterhead19,270TownAberdeenshire
41Barrhead17,610TownEast Renfrewshire
42St Andrews17,580TownFife
43Bonnyrigg17,530TownMidlothian
44Blantyre16,900TownSouth Lanarkshire
45Grangemouth16,650TownFalkirk
46Kilwinning16,460TownNorth Ayrshire
47Penicuik16,120TownMidlothian
48Johnstone16,090TownRenfrewshire
49Viewpark15,770TownNorth Lanarkshire
50Erskine15,510TownRenfrewshire
51Broxburn15,440TownWest Lothian

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 and Prestwick. However, most settlements coincide to a single locality. The 44 settlements with a population over 15,000 are listed below.
RankUrban sub-areaPopulationLocalitiesCouncil areas
1Greater Glasgow985,290Bearsden, Bishopbriggs, Bowling, Busby, Cambuslang, Clarkston, Clydebank, Duntocher & Hardgate, Elderslie, Faifley, Giffnock, Glasgow, Johnstone, Kilbarchan, Linwood, Milngavie, Netherlee, Newton Mearns, Old Kilpatrick, Paisley, Renfrew, Rutherglen, Stamperland, Stepps and ThornliebankGlasgow City, West Dunbartonshire, East Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire
2Edinburgh512,150Edinburgh, Musselburgh and WallyfordCity of Edinburgh and East Lothian
3Aberdeen214,610Aberdeen, Cove Bay and DyceAberdeen City
4Dundee158,200Dundee, Monifieth and InvergowrieDundee City, Angus and Perth and Kinross
5Motherwell and Wishaw124,790Bellshill, Carfin, Holytown, Motherwell, New Stevenston, Newarthill, Newmains, Viewpark and WishawNorth Lanarkshire
6Falkirk103,030Brightons, Carron, Carronshore, Falkirk, Grangemouth, Larbert, Laurieston, Maddiston, Polmont, Redding, Reddingmuirhead, Rumford, Stenhousemuir, Wallacestone and WestquarterFalkirk
7Coatbridge and Airdrie91,020Airdrie, Bargeddie, Chapelhall and CoatbridgeNorth Lanarkshire
8Hamilton83,730Blantyre, Bothwell, Hamilton and UddingstonSouth Lanarkshire
9East Kilbride75,120East KilbrideSouth Lanarkshire
10Dunfermline74,380Crossgates, Dunfermline, Inverkeithing and RosythFife
11Greenock67,750Gourock, Greenock and Port GlasgowInverclyde
12Livingston65,810Livingston and Mid CalderWest Lothian
13Inverness63,220Balloch, Culloden, Inverness, Smithton and WesthillHighland
14Ayr62,580Ayr and PrestwickSouth Ayrshire
15Dalkeith52,260Bonnyrigg, Dalkeith, Gorebridge, Mayfield and NewbattleMidlothian
16Kilmarnock51,390Kilmarnock, Crookedholm and HurlfordEast Ayrshire
17Cumbernauld50,920CumbernauldNorth Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire
18Kirkcaldy50,010KirkcaldyFife
19Stirling49,830Bannockburn, Bridge of Allan and StirlingStirling
20Perth47,430PerthPerth and Kinross
21Glenrothes47,010Coaltown of Balgonie, Glenrothes, Leslie, Markinch and ThorntonFife
22Irvine37,630Dreghorn and IrvineNorth Ayrshire
23Dumfries34,030DumfriesDumfries and Galloway
24Three Towns32,540Ardrossan, Saltcoats and StevenstonNorth Ayrshire
25Methil, Leven and Buckhaven30,530Buckhaven, Kennoway, Leven, Methil and WindygatesFife
26Kirkintilloch29,450Kirkintilloch and LenzieEast Dunbartonshire
27Bathgate28,470Bathgate and BlackburnWest Lothian
28Bonnybridge25,660Banknock, Bonnybridge, Denny, Dennyloanhead, Dunipace, Greenhill, Haggs, Longcroft, Head of Muir and High BonnybridgeFalkirk
29Elgin24,760ElginMoray
30Vale of Leven24,300Alexandria, Balloch & Haldane, Bonhill and RentonWest Dunbartonshire
31Arbroath23,940ArbroathAngus
32Dumbarton21,120Dumbarton and MiltonWest Dunbartonshire
33Alloa20,730Alloa and SauchieClackmannanshire
34Peterhead19,270PeterheadAberdeenshire
35Cowdenbeath18,960Cowdenbeath, Lochgelly and LumphinnansFife
36Barrhead17,610BarrheadEast Renfrewshire
37St Andrews17,580St AndrewsFife
38Erskine17,370Erskine and InchinnanRenfrewshire
39Kilwinning16,460KilwinningNorth Ayrshire
40Larkhall16,200Ashgill and LarkhallSouth Lanarkshire
41Penicuik16,120PenicuikMidlothian
42Helensburgh15,610Helensburgh and RhuArgyll and Bute
43Broxburn15,440BroxburnWest Lothian
44Galashiels15,040Galashiels and TweedbankScottish Borders