City of Edinburgh

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Region: Scotland
Country: Scotland

§ This page provides an overview of an officially designated city in the UK, bringing together various information to help you better understand this city.

Edinburgh was made a city in 1633 by Charles I, though its status as Scotland’s capital stretches back to the 15th century and is rooted in a royal burgh established under David I. In modern times it moved from the historic corporation to a district within Lothian Region in 1975, and since 1996 has operated as a single-tier authority, the City of Edinburgh Council. The unitary model concentrates local services across a growing city whose economy spans government, finance, universities, festivals and tourism, with major recent investment in tram extensions, housing and public realm.

City Council Status

The City of Edinburgh Council is the unitary authority (since 1996) and the civic head is the Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh.

Civic Honours: Lord Mayors & Lord Provost

Edinburgh’s Lord Provostship stems from ancient royal grant and is recognised in law; the Lord Provost is elected by the City of Edinburgh Council and serves as civic head and Lord-Lieutenant.

In the UK, city status and the dignity of Lord Mayor (or Lord Provost in Scotland) are separate honours, each granted by the monarch via letters patent. Of the 76 cities, 28 have a Lord Mayoralty and 4—Scotland’s four cities—have a Lord Provost; these titles don’t automatically follow from city status. A Lord Mayoralty exists in 24 cities in England, 2 in Wales, and 2 in Northern Ireland.

Only 4 cities in Scotland have Lord Provost: Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.

In the UK, a city is not defined by size or population but by formal status granted by the monarch, often through historical charters or, more recently, civic honours competitions. There are 76 officially recognised cities, some of which are relatively small compared to other urban areas. In contrast, local authority districts (361 in total) are administrative areas created for local government purposes and may include a mix of urban centres, suburbs, and rural communities. Within districts, there may be one or more towns, which generally refer to sizeable urban settlements but do not hold city status unless it has been formally granted. In practice, a city can exist within a district, and a district can cover multiple towns, showing the clear distinction between legal status, administrative boundaries, and everyday usage.

Cities in Scotland