Burgh of barony

A burgh of barony is a type of Scottish town (burgh).

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They were distinct from royal_burghs as the title was granted to a tenant-in-chief, a landowner who held his estates directly from the crown. They were created between 1450 and 1707, and conferred upon the landowner varying trading rights (for example the right to hold weekly markets or to trade overseas). In practice very few burghs of barony developed into market towns.

Related Topics:
Royal_burghs - 1450 - 1707

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Over 300 burghs of barony and regality were created, many losing their status in the nineteenth century under the Police Burghs Act. The titles are redundant today but remain in descriptive use.

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