About Berwickshire
Berwickshire is the middle-sized of the five Scottish Borders Area Partnerships, in terms of both its square mileage and its population, with an estimated population of 21,253 in 2021. View a map of the Berwickshire area.
The main towns in Berwickshire are:
- Eyemouth (3,473)
- Duns (2,887)
The only other town in Berwickshire with a population above 1.5k is Coldstream (1,944)
Larger villages include:
- Chirnside (1,457)
- Ayton (602)
- Greenlaw (600)
- Coldingham (512)
Berwickshire is the most rural of the five area partnership localities, with 46% of the population (9,778 people) living outside a settlement of 500 people.
Annual population estimates for settlements over 500 people are recorded by National Records of Scotland.
Population counts for settlements below 500 people are recorded by the decennial Population Census.
Settlements in Berwickshire that had a population of less than 500 in the 2011 Census include:
- Gordon (454)
- Reston (442)
- Cockburnspath (434)
- Paxton (292)
- Birgham (285)
- Swinton (277)
- Leitholm (232)
- Grantshouse (228)
- Longformacus (192)
- Gavinton (189)
- Preston (183)
- Kimmeringhame (175)
- Edrom and Lintlaw (161)
- Lennel and Milne Graden (160)
- Burnmouth (153)
- Westruther and Thornydykes (153)
- St Abbs (147)
- Ladykirk (136)
- Hutton (126)
- Allanton (114)
- Abbey St Bathans (106)
- Whitsome (98)
- Cranshaws and Ellemford (95)
- Cove and Rams Heugh (64)
Population Change in Berwickshire
The population of Berwickshire remained relatively unchanged between 2011 and 2019 but population growth has been uneven in the locality.
Ayton saw the most population growth in Berwickshire in this period, increasing at a rate of 7.8%.
Coldingham lost 17.8% of its population during the same period, which was the largest rate of population loss in Berwickshire and in all of Scottish Borders at this time.
There were also small population losses in Coldstream, Greenlaw and Eyemouth. Other parts of Berwickshire remained steady.