medieval-atlas/economic-development/313

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Taxation ofburghs Edinburgh dominated the Forth Basin, with all the old, established burghs like Haddington, Linlithgow and Stirling progressively slipping against it. The rise, particularly between 1590 and 1650, of a number of small Fife ports, whose size belied the level of their trading activity, is one of the most notable features of the tax rolls; but their sharp fall after 1680 was equally spectacular. Burgh tax assessments by regnon 1535 to 1705: Forth burghs A different perspective on the fortunes of provincial centres -like Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth and Glasgow-emerges when they are considered, within their own regions. Although Aberdeen was slipping in terms of both real and percentage share of Scotland's 1535 1583 overseas trade in the later sixteenth century, its tax assessments were relatively stable because it was consolidating its position as the unrivalled market centre for the whole of the nO.rth-east. No other burgh ever accounted for more than 15% of the region's taxation. 1670 Burgh tax assessment by region 1535 to 1705: North-east burghs Amongst the Tay burghs, Dundee and Perth stood out as rival was sharply divergent, as was that of what were otherwise the two regional centres, together accounting for between 58% and 66% of largest ports, St Andrews and Montrose. taxation in the period. Their progress over the period, however, Burgh tax assessments by region 1535 to 1705: Tay burghs The marked rise of Glasgow, described as the most spectacular of the patterns in the seventeenth-century tax rolls, stemmed largely, at least until 1635, from its success in funnelling regional as well as local trade through itself. Its activity in overseas trade was more modest. The two other major regional centres -Ayr and Dumfries -began to slip against Glasgow after the 1580s; both languished after 1650. The decay of the other Solway towns from the 1580s onwards, however, was real as well as relative. 1670 1705 Edinburgh Haddington Crail Pitlenweem Dysart Kirkcaldy Bumtisland Anstruther E. Dunfermline Linlithgow Stirling Aberdeen Elgin Inverness Banff Forres Tain Kirkwall Others Dundee Perth Cupar StAndrews Brechin Arbroath Montrose Forfar Glasgow Dumbarton Renfrew Rutherglen Lanark Ayr Irvine Rothesay Wigtown Kirkcudbright Dumfries 1535 1583 1635 313

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