Each area was governed by a city corporation (also known as a town council) and was administered independently of the surrounding county.
The counties of cities were abolished by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, and were replaced by regions and districts in 1975.
They gradually also gained local government functions, notably following the creation of Commissioners of Supply for each county in 1667.
At that time, there were 26 burghs which were excluded from county council control for the purposes of local government.
[3][4] These remained part of their parent county for the purposes of administration of justice, with the exception of Edinburgh, which had been given the right to appoint its own sheriff in 1482.