Scotland's population

Census figures for Scotland as a whole from 1811 onwards are available at http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/home/Scotland/pop.html

They show a steady rise in population, summarised as follows:

1811.........1,805,864
1861.........3,062,294
1911.........4,760,904
1961.........5,179,344
and a further slight rise to
1971.........5,228,963
and a slight drop to
1981.........5,130,735
and another (this time attributed to poll tax avoidance)
1991.........5,102,400

Figures from the General Register for estimates of Scotland's population on 30 June for the following years. Figures in thousands.

1992.........5,111.2
1993.........5,120.2
1994.........5,132.4
1995.........5,136.6
1996.........5,128.0

The numbers of births are currently at the lowest level since civil registration was introduced in 1855.

Highlands

Here are the figures for the seven Crofting Counties, as posted by Michael Paterson:

Argyll Caithn Invnss Ross&C Sthrld Orkney Zetlnd Total
1755 66,286 22,215 59,593 48,048 20,774 38,591 255,543
1801 81,277 22,609 72,672 56,318 23,117 24,445 22,379 302,817
1811 86,541 23,419 77,671 60,853 23,629 23,238 22,915 318,266
1821 97,316 29,181 89,961 67,762 23,840 26,979 26,145 361,184
1831 100,973 34,529 94,797 74,820 25,518 28,847 29,392 388,876
1841 97,371 36,343 97,799 78,685 24,782 30,507 30,558 396,045
1851 89,298 38,709 96,500 82,707 25,793 31,455 31,078 395,540
1861 79,724 41,111 88,888 81,406 25,246 32,395 31,670 380,442
1871 75,679 39,992 87,531 80,955 24,317 31,274 31,608 371,356
1881 76,468 38,865 90,454 78,547 23,370 32,044 29,705 369,453
1891 75,003 37,177 89,317 77,810 21,896 30,453 28,711 360,367
1901 73,642 33,870 90,104 76,450 21,440 28,699 28,166 352,371
1911 70,902 32,010 87,272 77,364 20,179 25,897 27,911 341,535
1921 76,862 28,285 82,082 70,818 17,802 24,111 25,520 325,853
1931 63,014 25,656 84,930 62,802 16,100 22,075 21,410 293,139
1951 63,631 22,710 83,480 60,508 13,670 21,255 19,352 285,786
1961 59,390 27,370 83,480 57,642 13,507 18,747 17,812 277,948

Of course there are other definitions of the *Highlands* that one could come up with but the Crofting County figures were carefully maintained and monitored from the time of the Crofting Act (1880s ISTR). Please bear in mind that Ross and Cromarty included Lewis and Inverness-shire included the rest of the Western Isles, Skye and the Small Isles.

These figures were taken from a personal Memorandum to the Minister of State, Scottish Office, about the Highland Development Bill then before Parliament, written in 1965 by Mac Mhic Iain, the Earl of Dundee, P.C., later MP for West Renfrewshire, becoming Under-Secretary of State for Scotland. He was later Minister of State in the Foreign Office and Deputy-Leader of the House of Lords.

1991 census

This info from the 1991 Census shows the population of 'localities', i.e. the name used by the General Register Office for Scotland
Info also available at
http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/road/aa383/scotloc.shtml

Localities are cities, towns and villages with a population of 500 residents or more. I won't go into the details of how such areas are defined but they were drawn up in consultation with local authorities. Hence, the boundaries and names should reflect local usage.

You can differentiate between towns and cities as you wish - GRO don't. Note that Glasgow is apportioned between two local authorities.

Figures in thousands

---------------------------------------------------
Local Authority Locality Pop 1991
---------------------------------------------------
Glasgow......................Glasgow (Pt)...606.8
Edinburgh....................Edinburgh......401.9
Aberdeen City................Aberdeen...... 189.7
Dundee City..................Dundee........ 147.0
Renfrewshire.................Paisley........ 75.5
South Lanarkshire............East Kilbride.. 70.4
South Lanarkshire............Glasgow (Pt)....56.0
Fife.........................Dunfermline.....55.1
Inverclyde...................Greenock........50.0
South Lanarkshire............Hamilton........50.0
North Lanarkshire............Cumbernauld.....48.8
South Ayrshire...............Ayr.............48.0
Fife.........................Kirkcaldy.......47.2
East Ayrshire................Kilmarnock......44.3
North Lanarkshire............Coatbridge......43.6
West Lothian.................Livingston......41.6
Perthshire and Kinross.......Perth...........41.5
Highland.....................Inverness.......41.2
Fife.........................Glenrothes......38.7
North Lanarkshire............Airdrie.........37.0
Falkirk......................Falkirk.........35.6
North Ayrshire...............Irvine..........33.0
Dumfries and Galloway........Dumfries........32.1
North Lanarkshire............Motherwell......30.7
Stirling.....................Stirling........30.5
North Lanarkshire............Wishaw..........29.8
West Dunbartonshire..........Clydebank.......29.2
East Dunbartonshire..........Bearsden........27.8
East Dunbartonshire..........Bishopbriggs....23.8
Angus........................Arbroath........23.5
West Dunbartonshire..........Dumbarton.......22.0
North Lanarkshire............Bellshill.......21.6
East Dunbartonshire..........Kirkintilloch...20.8
Renfrewshire.................Renfrew.........20.8
East Lothian.................Musselburgh.....20.6
Inverclyde...................Port Glasgow....19.7
East Renfrewshire............Newton Mearns...19.5
Moray........................Elgin...........19.0
East Renfrewshire............Clarkston.......18.9
Clackmannanshire.............Alloa...........18.8
Aberdeenshire................Peterhead.......18.7
Falkirk......................Grangemouth.....18.7
Renfrewshire.................Johnstone.......18.6
South Lanarkshire............Blantyre........18.5
Falkirk......................Polmont.........18.0
East Renfrewshire............Barrhead........17.3
Midlothian...................Penicuik........17.2
Fife.........................Buckhaven.......17.1
Falkirk......................Stenhousemuir...16.7
East Renfrewshire............Giffnock........16.2
Argyll and Bute..............Helensburgh.....15.9
Scottish Borders.............Hawick..........15.8
North Ayrshire...............Kilwinning......15.5
South Lanarkshire............Larkhall........15.5
South Ayrshire...............Troon...........15.2
North Lanarkshire............Viewpark........14.9
Falkirk......................Bo'ness.........14.6
West Dunbartonshire..........Alexandria......14.2
Scottish Borders.............Galashiels......13.8
West Lothian.................Bathgate........13.8
Midlothian...................Bonnyrigg.......13.7
South Ayrshire...............Prestwick.......13.7
Renfrewshire.................Erskine.........13.2
Angus........................Forfar..........13.0
South Lanarkshire............Carluke.........12.9
Aberdeenshire................Fraserburgh.....12.8
East Dunbartonshire..........Milngavie.......12.6
Fife.........................Cowdenbeath.....12.1
Midlothian...................Mayfield........12.1
North Ayrshire...............Saltcoats.......11.9
West Lothian.................Linlithgow......11.9
Inverclyde...................Gourock.........11.7
Midlothian...................Dalkeith........11.6
West Lothian.................Broxburn........11.6
West Lothian.................Whitburn........11.5
Angus........................Montrose........11.4
Dumfries and Galloway........Stranraer.......11.3
Falkirk......................Denny...........11.1
Fife.........................St Andrews......11.1
North Ayrshire...............Largs...........10.9
North Ayrshire...............Ardrossan.......10.8
Angus........................Carnoustie......10.7
Highland.....................Fort William....10.4
North Ayrshire...............Stevenston......10.2
Renfrewshire.................Linwood.........10.2
West Dunbartonshire..........Bonhill.........10.1
East Dunbartonshire..........Lenzie...........9.9
North Lanarkshire............Kilsyth..........9.9
East Ayrshire................Cumnock..........9.6
Aberdeenshire................Inverurie........9.6
Aberdeenshire................Stonehaven.......9.4
Argyll and Bute..............Dunoon...........9.0
West Lothian.................Armadale.........9.0
Dumfries and Galloway........Annan............8.9
Edinburgh....................Queensferry......8.9
South Lanarkshire............Lanark...........8.9
East Lothian.................Haddington.......8.8
North Lanarkshire............Shotts...........8.8
West Lothian.................East Calder......8.7
Aberdeenshire................Ellon............8.6
Moray........................Forres...........8.5
Highland.....................Thurso...........8.5
Aberdeenshire................Westhill.........8.4
Moray........................Buckie...........8.4
Fife.........................Leven............8.3
East Lothian.................Tranent..........8.3
Argyll and Bute..............Oban.............8.2
North Ayrshire...............Kilbirnie........8.1
Perthshire and Kinross.......Blairgowrie......8.0
Highland.....................Nairn............7.9
West Dunbartonshire..........Duntocher and
Hardgate....7.9
Fife.........................Dalgety Bay......7.9
Angus........................Dundee (Part)....7.7
Highland.....................Wick.............7.7
Angus........................Brechin..........7.7
Fife.........................Cupar............7.5
South Ayrshire...............Girvan...........7.4
Stirling.....................Dunblane.........7.4
Shetland Islands.............Lerwick..........7.3
Moray........................Lossiemouth......7.2
Scottish Borders.............Peebles..........7.1
Fife.........................Lochgelly........7.0
East Lothian.................Prestonpans......7.0
Clackmannanshire.............Tullibody........6.9
North Lanarkshire............Newarthill.......6.6
South Lanarkshire............Bothwell.........6.5
East Lothian.................Dunbar...........6.5
East Ayrshire................Stewarton........6.5
Orkney Islands...............Kirkwall.........6.5
Fife.........................Ballingry........6.4
South Lanarkshire............Strathaven.......6.4
Aberdeen City................Dyce.............6.4
North Ayrshire...............Beith............6.4
Aberdeenshire................Banchory.........6.2
Aberdeenshire................Portlethen.......6.2
West Dunbartonshire..........Faifley..........6.1
Perthshire and Kinross.......Crieff...........6.0
Falkirk......................Bonnybridge......6.0
Fife.........................Inverkeithing....6.0
Scottish Borders.............Kelso............6.0
North Lanarkshire............Moodiesburn......6.0
Western Isles................Steornabhagh
(Stornoway)....6.0
Fife.........................Burntisland......6.0
Scottish Borders.............Selkirk..........5.9
Midlothian...................Gorebridge.......5.9
North Lanarkshire............Newmains.........5.9
North Lanarkshire............Holytown.........5.8
Stirling.....................Bannockburn......5.8
North Ayrshire...............Dalry............5.7
Argyll and Bute..............Campbeltown......5.7
Highland.....................Alness...........5.7
East Lothian.................North Berwick....5.7
Midlothian...................Loanhead.........5.7
Angus........................Kirriemuir.......5.6
Renfrewshire.................Houston..........5.5
Fife.........................Kelty............5.5
East Ayrshire................Hurlford and
Crookedholm.....5.4
Renfrewshire.................Bishopton........5.4
Fife.........................Cardenden........5.4
Dumfries and Galloway........Locharbriggs.....5.4
South Lanarkshire............Uddingston.......5.4
South Lanarkshire............Stonehouse.......5.3
Renfrewshire.................Elderslie........5.3
Clackmannanshire.............Tillicoultry.....5.3
Argyll and Bute..............Rothesay.........5.3
East Renfrewshire............Neilston.........5.3
Highland.....................Dingwall.........5.2
Clackmannanshire.............Alva.............5.2
East Ayrshire................Galston..........5.2
Renfrewshire.................Bridge of Weir...5.2
West Lothian.................Blackburn........5.0

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