Greater Glasgow
Encyclopedia
Greater Glasgow is an urban settlement in Scotland consisting of all localities which are physically attached to the city of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, forming with it a single contiguous urban area (or conurbation). It does not relate to municipal government boundaries and its territorial extent is defined by the General Register Office for Scotland
General Register Office for Scotland
The General Register Office for Scotland was a non-ministerial directorate of the Scottish Government that administered the registration of births, deaths, marriages, divorces and adoptions in Scotland. It was also responsible for the statutes relating to the formalities of marriage and conduct...
, which determines settlements in Scotland for census and statistical purposes. Greater Glasgow had a population of 1,199,629 at the 2001 census making it the largest urban area
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and the fifth largest in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
In addition to being the name of this true conurbation, the term Greater Glasgow is informally (and confusingly) used to refer to the general area surrounding the City of Glasgow. Despite this, Greater Glasgow should not however be confused with the wider Glasgow City Region, which consists of Glasgow City Council and 7 surrounding local authorities in their entireties, thus including not only the Greater Glasgow urban settlement but also other settlements fully detached from it. This city-region is described as a metropolitan area by its own strategic planning authority, and is similar to the Glasgow metropolitan area identified by the European Union.
The City of Glasgow in the late 19th and early 20th centuries grew to having a population of over one million people and was the third city in Europe to reach one million, after London and Paris. The official population stayed well over one million for more than 50 years. However, in the 1960s large-scale relocation to new towns in the suburban area of the city and many boundary changes since then have reduced the population of the core City of Glasgow council area to 580,690 (August 2007).
Greater Glasgow urban area
The Urban Area, also known as the Glasgow settlement, includes the following localities:| Settlement | Population (1991 Census) |
Population (2001 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| Airdrie Airdrie, North Lanarkshire Airdrie is a town within North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies on a plateau roughly 400 ft above sea level, and is approximately 12 miles east of Glasgow city centre. Airdrie forms part of a conurbation with its neighbour Coatbridge, in the former district known as the Monklands. As of 2006,... |
36,842 | 36,326 |
| Bargeddie Bargeddie Bargeddie is a village in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, just outside the suburban fringe of Glasgow, east of the city centre, and close to the junction of the M73 and M8 motorways. The nearest major town is Coatbridge, to the east... |
2,325 | 2,144 |
| Barrhead Barrhead Barrhead is a town in East Renfrewshire, Scotland, southwest of Glasgow on the edge of the Gleniffer Braes. As of the 2001 census its population was 19,813.... |
16,753 | 17,244 |
| Bearsden Bearsden Bearsden ) is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It lies on the northwestern fringe of Greater Glasgow, approximately from the City Centre, and is effectively a suburb, with housing development coinciding with the introduction of a railway line in 1863, and from where the town gets its name... |
27,707 | 27,967 |
| Bellshill Bellshill Bellshill is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, 10 miles south east of Glasgow city centre and 37 miles west of Edinburgh. Other nearby towns are Motherwell , Hamilton and Coatbridge . Since 1996, it has been situated in the Greater Glasgow metropolitan area... |
21,624 | 20,705 |
| Bishopbriggs Bishopbriggs Bishopbriggs is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. The area was once part of the historic parish of Cadder - originally lands granted by King William the Lion to the Bishop of Glasgow, Jocelin, in 1180. It was later part of the county of Lanarkshire and subsequently an independent burgh from... |
23,825 | 23,118 |
| Bothwell Bothwell Bothwell is a small town in the South Lanarkshire council area of Scotland. It lies on the north bank of the River Clyde, adjacent to Uddingston and Hamilton, nine miles east-south-east of Glasgow city centre.... |
6,542 | 6,379 |
| Busby Busby, East Renfrewshire Busby is a village in East Renfrewshire, Scotland. Busby's close proximity to Glasgow effectively makes it a suburb of the city, though remains administratively separate. It lies on the White Cart Water south of Glasgow City Centre.-History:... |
1,617 | 1,654 |
| Calderbank Calderbank Calderbank is a village outside the town of Airdrie North Lanarkshire, Scotland, The village lies 13 miles east of Glasgow city centre and around 34 miles west of Edinburgh.Other major towns include Coatbridge 4 miles, Bellshill 4 miles and Motherwell 5 miles.-Etymology:The village's name is of a... |
1,709 | 1,663 |
| Cambuslang Cambuslang Cambuslang is a suburban town on the south-eastern outskirts of Glasgow, Scotland. It is within the local authority area of South Lanarkshire. Historically, it was a large rural Parish incorporating nearby hamlets of Newton, Flemington, and Halfway. It is known as "the largest village in... |
23,212 | 24,500 |
| Carfin Carfin Carfin is a small village to the north-east of Motherwell, Scotland on the road to Newarthill.-Local facilities:The closest secondary school is Taylor High School in nearby New Stevenston... |
1,226 | 1,048 |
| Chapelhall Chapelhall Chapelhall is a village outside the town of Airdrie in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. However, with house building this distinction between Airdrie and Chapelhall is being eroded... |
4,405 | 5,214 |
| Clarkston Clarkston, East Renfrewshire Clarkston is a small town in East Renfrewshire, Scotland. Although it is administratively outside nearby Glasgow, Clarkston is geographically an outer suburb of the city and part of the Greater Glasgow conurbation.... |
18,899 | 19,136 |
| Clydebank Clydebank Clydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, Clydebank borders Dumbarton, the town with which it was combined to form West Dunbartonshire, as well as the town of Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, and the Yoker and... |
29,171 | 29,858 |
| Coatbridge Coatbridge Coatbridge is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. The town, with neighbouring Airdrie, is part of the Greater Glasgow urban area. The first settlement of the area stretches back to the Stone Age era... |
43,467 | 41,170 |
| Duntocher Duntocher Duntocher is a village in Dunbartonshire, Scotland.Although it is a far older settlement and still considered a village in its own right, it is administratively part of nearby Clydebank along with the neighbouring village of Hardgate and is now part of the West Dunbartonshire local authority area... and Hardgate Hardgate Hardgate is a village in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland.Hardgate has probably been settled since neolithic times with a burial site at Knappers Farm, a cup and ring marked stone and a Burial chamber near Cochno Loch providing evidence of this.... |
7,882 | 7,301 |
| Elderslie Elderslie Elderslie is a village in the council area and historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. The village is situated midway between the nearby towns of Paisley and Johnstone.... |
5,166 | 5,180 |
| Erskine Erskine Erskine is a town in the council area of Renfrewshire, and historic county of the same name, in the west central Lowlands of Scotland.It lies on the southern bank of the River Clyde, providing the lowest crossing to the north bank of the river at Erskine Bridge connecting the town to Old Kilpatrick... |
15,166 | 15,347 |
| Faifley Faifley Faifley is a large council estate forming part of the town of Clydebank, Scotland, adjoining the former village of Hardgate, with a population of approximately 5,000.... |
6,087 | 4,932 |
| Giffnock Giffnock Giffnock is a wealthy, dormitory suburb of Glasgow in the East Renfrewshire Council area, within the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland... |
16,190 | 16,178 |
| Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... |
658,379 | 629,501 |
| Holytown Holytown Holytown is a small village outside Motherwell in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.-History:The area was born and grew on the back of the nearby coal mining industries in the 18th century, although the roots of the town stretch back to at least the 17th Century, where records show that a meeting house... |
5,648 | 5,483 |
| Howwood | 1,036 | 1,502 |
| Johnstone Johnstone Johnstone is a town in the council area of Renfrewshire and larger historic county of the same name in the west central Lowlands of Scotland.The town lies three miles west of neighbouring Paisley and twelve miles west of the centre of the city of Glasgow... |
18,280 | 16,468 |
| Kilbarchan Kilbarchan Kilbarchan is a village and civil parish in central Renfrewshire, in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. The village's name means "cell of St. Barchan". It is known for its former weaving industry.- History :... |
3,710 | 3,622 |
| Linwood Linwood Linwood is a small town in Renfrewshire, Scotland, 14 miles south-west of Glasgow.Linwood is a commuter town, with proximity to Glasgow International Airport and the M8 motorway to Glasgow and Edinburgh... |
10,183 | 9,058 |
| Milngavie Milngavie Milngavie , is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It is on the Allander Water, at the northwestern edge of Greater Glasgow, and about from Glasgow city centre. It neighbours Bearsden.... |
11,992 | 12,795 |
| Milton Milton, Glasgow Milton is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde.Building on Milton in Glasgow started in the late 1940s as part of a general post-war construction programme by Glasgow Corporation to deal with the housing shortage and slum clearances.The housing scheme... |
1,079 | 986 |
| Motherwell | 30,769 | 30,311 |
| New Stevenston New Stevenston New Stevenston is a small village situated outside Motherwell in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.SchoolsThe village is served by two primary schools: St.Patrick's Primary School & New Stevenston Primary School which share a joint campus incorporating New Stevenston Library.Secondary education is... |
3,287 | 4,108 |
| Newarthill Newarthill Newarthill is a village in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, situated roughly three miles north-west of the town of Motherwell. It has a population of around 7,800. The Member of Parliament for the local area is Pamela Nash. The Member of the Scottish Parliament for the local area is Michael McMahon... |
6,585 | 6,849 |
| Newmains Newmains -External links:* *... |
5,878 | 5,329 |
| Newton Mearns Newton Mearns Newton Mearns is a suburban town in East Renfrewshire, Scotland. It lies southwest of Glasgow City Centre on the main road to Ayrshire, above sea level. It has a population of approximately 22,637.The town is part of the Greater Glasgow conurbation... |
19,342 | 22,637 |
| Old Kilpatrick Old Kilpatrick Old Kilpatrick is a village in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland.The village is on the north bank of the River Clyde immediately to the north of the Forth and Clyde Canal, three miles from Clydebank on the road to Dumbarton. The Great Western Road runs through Old Kilpatrick, and the next village to... |
2,408 | 3,199 |
| Paisley Paisley Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area... |
73,925 | 74,170 |
| Renfrew | 20,764 | 20,251 |
| Rutherglen | 25,000 | 25,000 |
| Stepps Stepps Stepps is a small town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, on the north-eastern outskirts of Glasgow. The town consists of Stepps Village, Cardowan, Stepps Hill and Millerston... |
4,942 | 4,802 |
| Uddingston Uddingston Uddingston is a small town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the north side of the River Clyde, about seven miles south-east of Glasgow... |
5,367 | 5,576 |
| Viewpark Viewpark Viewpark is a small urban development north-east of Uddingston in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Viewpark is adjacent to Tannochside, and is west of Bellshill. Viewpark is often considered a district of Uddingston despite falling under the jurisdiction of a separate local authority.Viewpark was... |
15,044 | 15,841 |
| Wishaw Wishaw Wishaw is a large town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the edge of the Clyde Valley, 15 miles south-east of Glasgow.... |
29,574 | 28,565 |
Transport
In 1973, the Greater Glasgow Passenger Transport Executive was created to take over control of Glasgow Corporation Transport (which included the Glasgow SubwayGlasgow Subway
The Glasgow Subway is an underground metro line in Glasgow, Scotland. Opened on 14 December 1896, it is the third-oldest underground metro system in the world after the London Underground and the Budapest Metro. Formerly a cable railway, the Subway was later electrified, but its twin circular lines...
). Following local government reorganisation in 1975, control subsequently passed to Strathclyde Regional Council. The former PTE is now the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
The Strathclyde Partnership for Transport is a public body which is responsible for planning and co-ordinating regional transport, and especially the public transport system, in the Strathclyde area of western Scotland...
, within Transport Scotland
Transport Scotland
Transport Scotland was created on 1 January 2006 as the national transport agency of Scotland. It is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government's Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department and accountable to Scottish Ministers...
.
The Glasgow conurbation is served by the largest urban rail
Regional rail
Commuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...
network in the UK outside of London, with 186 rail stations in the Greater Glasgow area. The city is served by the only metro
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
system in Scotland, the Glasgow Subway
Glasgow Subway
The Glasgow Subway is an underground metro line in Glasgow, Scotland. Opened on 14 December 1896, it is the third-oldest underground metro system in the world after the London Underground and the Budapest Metro. Formerly a cable railway, the Subway was later electrified, but its twin circular lines...
; and by two international airports, Glasgow Prestwick International Airport
Glasgow Prestwick International Airport
Glasgow Prestwick Airport is an international airport serving the Greater Glasgow urban area, situated northeast of the town of Prestwick in South Ayrshire and 32 miles from the city centre of Glasgow....
and Glasgow International Airport
Glasgow International Airport
Glasgow International Airport is an international airport in Scotland, located west of Glasgow city centre, near the towns of Paisley and Renfrew in Renfrewshire...
.
Postal Codes
Following the local government boundary changes in 1996 and the creation of unitary councils in Scotland, replacing the former regional and district councils, the Greater Glasgow Settlement Area or Urban AreaUrban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
was created for the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
from groups of neighbouring urban postcodes grouped so that each group of postcode unit contains at least a given number of addresses per unit area, and the group contains at least 500 residents.
Glasgow City Region
The Glasgow City Region, is a collection of local authorities clustered around Glasgow. The eight constituent authorities are:- GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
- East DunbartonshireEast DunbartonshireThis article is about the East Dunbartonshire council area of Scotland. See also East Dunbartonshire .East Dunbartonshire is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders onto the north-west of the City of Glasgow. It contains many of the suburbs of Glasgow as well as containing many of...
- West DunbartonshireWest DunbartonshireWest Dunbartonshire is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. Bordering onto the west of the City of Glasgow, containing many of Glasgow's commuter towns and villages as well as the city's suburbs, West Dunbartonshire also borders onto Argyll and Bute, Stirling, East...
- North LanarkshireNorth LanarkshireNorth Lanarkshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. It borders onto the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains much of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also borders Stirling, Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, West Lothian and South Lanarkshire...
- South LanarkshireSouth LanarkshireSouth Lanarkshire is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of the former county of Lanarkshire. It borders the south-east of the city of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns and smaller villages....
- East RenfrewshireEast RenfrewshireEast Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. Until 1975 it formed part of the county of Renfrewshire for local government purposes along with the modern council areas of Renfrewshire and Inverclyde...
- RenfrewshireRenfrewshireRenfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east...
- InverclydeInverclydeInverclyde is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the historic county of Renfrewshire - which current exists as a registration county and lieutenancy area - located in the west...
The estimated population of this area in 2007 was 1,750,500. The city region is not a conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
as significant parts of the council areas (and the whole of Inverclyde) are separated from Greater Glasgow by open countryside. It uses numerous other terms for itself, including Metropolitan Glasgow, the metropolitan City-Region of Glasgow" and Glasgow and the Clyde Valley. The city region has no single municipal government, the eight authorities instead form a combined strategic planning authority.
Metropolitan Glasgow
While the Scottish Government makes no official recognition of 'Metropolitan status' in its workings, the term is used by other bodies. The European Union's statistical body Eurostat lists Glasgow as the 32nd most populous metropolitan area, or Larger Urban Zones, in the EU. Although not defining the boundaries of this metropolitan area, Eurostat state it consists "of over 1.7 million inhabitants covering an area of 3,346 km2"., which is similar to the 1.75 million population of the Glasgow City Region and may suggest a correlation between the two. The Glasgow City Region's strategic development authority describes itself as the planning authority for the "Glasgow metropolitan area" and the "metropolitan city-region of Glasgow".The former local government region of Strathclyde
Strathclyde
right|thumb|the former Strathclyde regionStrathclyde was one of nine former local government regions of Scotland created by the Local Government Act 1973 and abolished in 1996 by the Local Government etc Act 1994...
has also been identified as a metropolitan area surrounding the Greater Glasgow conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
, and covers approximately 2.3 million people, 41% of Scotland's population.