Some had a range of courses similar to polytechnics elsewhere in the United Kingdom while others were more specialised such as the art colleges and the conservatoire.
Some subjects were not taught at CIs; for example, teacher training was only carried out by colleges of education, which later merged with universities.
Of the five colleges of technology, Napier and Glasgow eventually changed their names to include the word polytechnic, Paisley took the name Paisley College, while Dundee and Robert Gordon became institutes of technology.
Another CI, Leith Nautical College, Edinburgh, closed in 1987 by merger into the further education sector.
The number of central institutions varied, but in 1988 the list included the following, several of which now have university status.