 Burghs had unique layouts and economic functions . They were typically were surrounded by a palisade or possessed a castle , and usually had a marketplace , with a widened high street or junction , often marked by a mercat cross ( market cross ) , beside houses for the burgesses and other inhabitants . The foundations of around 15 burghs can be traced to the reign of David I and there is evidence of 55 burghs by 1296 . In addition to the major royal burghs , the late Middle Ages saw the proliferation of baronial and ecclesiastical burghs , with 51 being created between 1450 and 1516 . Most of these were much smaller than their royal counterparts . Excluded from international trade they mainly acted as local markets and centres of craftsmanship . In general , burghs probably carried out far more local trading with their hinterlands than nationally or internationally , relying on them for food and raw materials . 
