Editing Scotland (section)

===Urbanisation===
{{See also|Cities of Scotland|List of towns and cities in Scotland by population}}
Although [[Edinburgh]] is the capital of Scotland, the largest city is Glasgow, which has just over 584,000 inhabitants. The [[Greater Glasgow]] conurbation, with a population of almost 1.2&nbsp;million, is home to nearly a quarter of Scotland's population.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Did You Know?—Scotland's Cities |url=http://rampantscotland.com/know/blknow_cities.htm |access-date=17 September 2014 |website=Rampantscotland.com |archive-date=2 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402042144/http://www.rampantscotland.com/know/blknow_cities.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Central Belt]] is where most of the main towns and cities of Scotland are located, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, and Perth. Scotland's only major city outside the Central Belt is Aberdeen. The [[Scottish Lowlands]] host 80% of the total population, where the [[Central Belt]] accounts for 3.5&nbsp;million people.

In general, only the more accessible and larger islands remain inhabited. Currently, fewer than 90 remain inhabited. The Southern Uplands is essentially rural and dominated by agriculture and forestry.<ref>Clapperton, C.M. (ed) (1983) ''Scotland: A New Study''. London. David & Charles.</ref><ref>Miller, J. (2004) ''Inverness''. Edinburgh. Birlinn. {{ISBN|978-1-84158-296-2}}</ref> Because of housing problems in Glasgow and Edinburgh, [[New towns in the United Kingdom#Scotland|five new towns]] were designated between 1947 and 1966. They are [[East Kilbride]], [[Glenrothes]], [[Cumbernauld]], [[Livingston, West Lothian|Livingston]], and [[Irvine, North Ayrshire|Irvine]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=New Towns |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/as/sixties/standard/rural/new_towns.shtml |access-date=17 September 2014 |website=Bbc.co.uk |archive-date=7 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221107024956/https://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/as/sixties/standard/rural/new_towns.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>

The largest council area by population is [[Glasgow City Council|Glasgow City]], with [[Highland (council area)|Highland]] being the largest in terms of geographical area.

{{Largest cities
| country     = Scotland
| stat_ref    = [[2021 United Kingdom census#2022 census for Scotland|Scotland's Census 2022]]<ref name="2022 census">{{Cite web |title=2022 Census population data for localities in Scotland |url=http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/ods-analyser/jsf/tableView/crosstabTableView.xhtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728164340/https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/ods-analyser/jsf/login.xhtml?invalidSession=true&reason=Session+not+established. |archive-date=28 July 2020 |access-date=10 July 2014 |website=Scotlandscensus.gov.uk}}</ref>
| list_by_pop = List of towns and cities in Scotland by population
| div_name    = Council area
| city_1 = Glasgow | div_1 = Glasgow{{!}}Glasgow City | pop_1 = 632,350 | img_1  = Finnieston Crane ^ Clyde Arc Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 3851383.jpg
| city_2 = Edinburgh | div_2 = City of Edinburgh Council{{!}}City of Edinburgh | pop_2 = 506,520 | img_2 = Evening view across Carlton Hill towards the Castle (13164472813).jpg
| city_3 = Aberdeen | div_3 = Aberdeen | pop_3 = 198,590 | img_3 = Aberdeen from Torry - geograph.org.uk - 1454885.jpg
| city_4 = Dundee | div_4 = Dundee City Council{{!}}Dundee City | pop_4 = 148,210 | img_4 = DundeeSkyline2017.jpg
| city_5 = Paisley, Renfrewshire{{!}}Paisley | div_5 = Renfrewshire | pop_5 = 77,270
| city_6 = East Kilbride | div_6 = South Lanarkshire | pop_6 = 75,310
| city_7 = Livingston, West Lothian{{!}}Livingston | div_7 = West Lothian | pop_7 = 56,840
| city_8 = Dunfermline | div_8 = Fife | pop_8 = 54,990
| city_9 = Hamilton, South Lanarkshire{{!}}Hamilton | div_9 = South Lanarkshire| pop_9 = 54,480
| city_10 = Cumbernauld | div_10 = North Lanarkshire  | pop_10 = 50,530
| city_11 = Kirkcaldy | div_11 = Fife | pop_11 = 50,370
| city_12 = Inverness | div_12 = Highland (council area){{!}}Highland | pop_12 = 47,790
| city_13 = Perth, Scotland{{!}}Perth | div_13 = Perth and Kinross | pop_13 = 47,350
| city_14 = Kilmarnock| div_14 = East Ayrshire | pop_14 = 46,970
| city_15 = Ayr | div_15 = South Ayrshire | pop_15 = 46,260
| city_16 = Coatbridge| div_16 = North Lanarkshire | pop_16 = 43,950
| city_17 = Greenock| div_17 = Inverclyde | pop_17 = 41,280
| city_18 = Glenrothes| div_18 = Fife | pop_18 = 38,360
| city_19 = Stirling | div_19 = Stirling (council area){{!}}Stirling | pop_19 = 37,910
| city_20 = Airdrie, North Lanarkshire{{!}}Airdrie| div_20 = North Lanarkshire | pop_20 = 36,390
}}