Perth

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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.

Perth, long known as the Fair City and historically a royal burgh, lost formal city status in the 1975 reorganisation but regained it in 2012 during the Diamond Jubilee honours. The area’s governance shifted from the Perth and Kinross District within Tayside Region (1975–1996) to the unitary Perth and Kinross Council in 1996, consolidating local services. City status has complemented riverside regeneration, cultural investment and tourism tied to Scone, the Tay and surrounding Strathtay, while reinforcing Perth’s role as a strategic hub between the Highlands and Lowlands.

City Council Status

No separate city council: the city is governed by the unitary Perth and Kinross Council; city status was restored in 2012 and the civic head is the Provost of Perth and Kinross.

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