The list is based on the following references.
By 1153 (royal) •
Aberdeen •
Berwick-upon-Tweed (before 1124) •
Dundee •
Lanark (1140) •
Edinburgh •
Dunfermline •
Elgin •
Forres •
Linlithgow •
Montrose •
Peebles •
Perth (took precedence over all other burghs except Edinburgh) •
Rutherglen •
Roxburgh (Created a royal burgh . 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 recognised Kelso as the successor to the royal burgh.) •
Stirling •
Tain By 1153 (burghs passing between the king and other lords) •
Haddington (granted to
Ada, Countess of Northumberland between 1139 and 1178) •
Renfrew (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 (now part of Edinburgh) •
St Andrews By 1214 (royal) •
Ayr •
Auldearn •
Cullen •
Dumfries •
Forfar •
Inverkeithing •
Inverness •
Jedburgh •
Kinghorn •
Kintore •
Lauder •
Nairn By 1214 (burghs passing between the king and other lords) •
Crail By 1214 (burghs controlled by other lords) •
Annan (a royal burgh by 1532) •
Arbroath •
Brechin •
Dundee •
Glasgow •
Kirkintilloch •
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 (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 (had ceased to exist by 16th century) •
Dunbar (became a royal burgh 1445) •
Inverurie (became a royal burgh 1558) •
Irvine (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) •
Tain c 1439
Burghs created by James III •
Elgin (1457) (royal burgh status lost in 1312 restored) •
Kirkwall (1486) •
Nairn (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 (1517) •
Burntisland (1541) •
Pittenweem (1541)
Burghs created by Mary, Queen of Scots •
Inverurie (1558) (restored lost royal burgh status) •
Rattray (1564)
Burghs created by James VI •
Anstruther Easter (1583) •
Anstruther Wester (1587) •
Arbroath (1599) •
Cromarty (1593) (re-established). Disenfranchised by
Privy Council 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 •
St Andrews (1620) (confirmation of
de facto status) •
Sanquhar (1598) •
Stranraer (1617) •
Wick (1589)
Burghs created by Charles I •
Brechin (1641) (
de facto status ratified by parliament) •
Dornoch (1628) •
Fortrose (1661) (reforming of royal burgh of Rosemarkie) •
Inveraray (1648) •
Kirkcaldy (1644) (although
de facto since 1574) •
New Galloway (1630) •
South Queensferry (1636) •
Newburgh, Fife (1631)
Burghs created by William II •
Campbeltown (1700)
20th century •
Auchterarder (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 (formed by union of three royal burghs 1930) ==Abolition and status since 1975==