East Dunbartonshire is a council area immediately north of Glasgow, between the city and the Campsie Fells. It had a population of 108,937 at the 2022 census and covers 174 square kilometres (67 sq mi). Bearsden is the largest town; the council is run from Kirkintilloch.
The area was created in 1996 from the Bearsden and Milngavie district and most of Strathkelvin. It is one of the most affluent parts of Scotland, with the highest life expectancy of any council area and consistently strong school results.
| Country | Scotland, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Status | Council area |
| Area | 174 km2 (67 sq mi) |
| Population (2022) | 108,937 |
| Population (2011) | 105,026 |
| Density | 626 people per km2 |
| Largest town | Bearsden |
| Council | East Dunbartonshire Council, Southbank House, Kirkintilloch |
| Historic counties | Dunbartonshire, part of Stirlingshire |
| Postcode areas | G61, G62, G64, G66 |
Towns and Villages in East Dunbartonshire
East Dunbartonshire has 18 named towns and villages. Bearsden holds about 28,500 people, Bishopbriggs 23,700, Kirkintilloch 19,600 and Milngavie 12,800; between them those four account for more than four-fifths of the population. The list runs alphabetically, from Auchenreoch to Twechar.
- Auchenreoch
- Baldernock
- Balmore
- Bardowie
- Bearsden
- Birdston
- Bishopbriggs
- Clachan of Campsie
- Craigton Village
- Haughhead
- Hillfoot
- Kirkintilloch
- Lennoxtown
- Lenzie
- Milngavie
- Milton of Campsie
- Torrance
- Twechar
Within the built-up areas, these are the main neighbourhoods.
- Auchinairn
- Boghead
- Broomhill
- Cadder
- Claddens
- Duntiblae
- Harestanes
- Hayston
- High Gallowhill
- Hillhead
- Langmuir
- Millersneuk
- Orchard Park
- Oxgang
- Rosebank
- Townhead
- Westermains
- Woodilee
Geography
East Dunbartonshire borders Glasgow City to the south, North Lanarkshire to the east, Stirling to the north and West Dunbartonshire to the west.
The southern half is continuous suburb, running out from the Glasgow boundary at Bearsden, Bishopbriggs and Lenzie. North of the Kelvin the ground opens into farmland and then climbs steeply into the Campsie Fells, which reach 578 metres at Earl’s Seat on the Stirling boundary.
The River Kelvin runs east to west through the middle of the area, and the Forth and Clyde Canal follows the same line through Kirkintilloch. The Allander Water drains Milngavie and Bearsden into the Kelvin.
Demographics
The 2022 census counted 108,937 residents, up 3,911 on 2011. Growth came mainly from new housing at Bishopbriggs, Kirkintilloch and Torrance.
Density is about 626 people per square kilometre, though that average conceals a sharp split: nearly everyone lives in the southern third, and the Campsie uplands are empty.
East Dunbartonshire has an older and more prosperous population than Scotland as a whole. It records the highest healthy life expectancy of any Scottish council area, the highest share of adults with degree-level qualifications, and among the lowest levels of income deprivation.
Economy and Local Life
The area is largely a commuter belt. A high proportion of working residents travel into Glasgow, and the local job base is dominated by retail, education, health and professional services rather than manufacturing.
Kirkintilloch and Bishopbriggs carry what industry there is, including a long-standing book-printing tradition in Bishopbriggs. Milngavie’s reservoirs at Mugdock and Craigmaddie have supplied Glasgow with Loch Katrine water since 1859 and are still the terminus of that aqueduct.
Milngavie is the southern start of the West Highland Way, the 96-mile route to Fort William, which brings walkers through the town all summer. Mugdock Country Park, the Campsie Glen and the Forth and Clyde Canal towpath are the main outdoor draws.
History
The Antonine Wall, the Roman Empire’s north-west frontier from about AD 142, crosses the whole area from Bearsden to Kirkintilloch. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the bathhouse of the Bearsden fort, uncovered in 1973, is the best preserved Roman bath in Scotland.
Kirkintilloch grew as a canal town after the Forth and Clyde Canal opened in 1790, building iron boats and manufacturing cast-iron baths and stoves at its foundries. It stayed legally dry from 1921 to 1967, one of the last Scottish burghs to vote itself alcohol-free.
Bearsden and Milngavie developed as villa suburbs once the railway arrived in the 1860s, drawing Glasgow merchants out of the city. Twechar and Lennoxtown were mining and calico-printing settlements with a very different history, and both lost their industries in the twentieth century.
Getting There
The A81 runs north from Glasgow through Milngavie to Strathblane, and the A803 links Bishopbriggs and Kirkintilloch to Glasgow and Falkirk. The A807 and A809 cross the area east to west, and the M80 passes the eastern edge at Bishopbriggs on the way to Stirling.
Milngavie is the terminus of a branch of the North Clyde electric line, calling at Bearsden and Hillfoot. Bishopbriggs and Lenzie are on the main Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh line via Falkirk High, about ten minutes from the city centre. Glasgow Airport is 20 miles south-west.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of East Dunbartonshire?
108,937 at the 2022 census, up 3,911 since 2011.
What is the largest town in East Dunbartonshire?
Bearsden, with about 28,500 residents, followed by Bishopbriggs, Kirkintilloch and Milngavie.
How many villages are in East Dunbartonshire?
There are 18 named settlements, four of them towns and the rest villages such as Torrance, Twechar, Balmore, Baldernock and Clachan of Campsie.
Which council covers Bearsden and Kirkintilloch?
East Dunbartonshire Council, based at Southbank House in Kirkintilloch.
Where does the West Highland Way start?
In Milngavie town centre. The route runs 96 miles north to Fort William.
What postcodes does East Dunbartonshire use?
G61 for Bearsden, G62 for Milngavie, G64 for Bishopbriggs and Torrance, and G66 for Kirkintilloch, Lenzie and Lennoxtown.