 Records of burghs , small towns granted legal privileges from the crown , can be found from the eleventh century . Burghs ( a term derived from the Germanic word for fortress ) , developed rapidly during the reign of David I ( 1124 – 53 ) . Up until this point there were no identifiable towns in Scotland . Most of the burghs that were granted charters in his reign probably already existed as settlements . Charters were copied almost verbatim from those used in England , and early citizens , called burgesses , that were usually English or Flemish . They were able to impose tolls and fines on traders within a region outside their settlements . Most of the early burghs were on the east coast , and among them were the largest and wealthiest , including Aberdeen , Berwick , Perth and Edinburgh , whose growth was facilitated by trade with the European continent . In the south @-@ west , Glasgow , Ayr and Kirkcudbright were aided by the less @-@ profitable sea trade with Ireland , and to a lesser extent France and Spain . 
