ABSTRACT
Public open space was at a premium in the medieval town. Thus when public buildings were required, such as a town house, the burgesses were forced to occupy the only extensive space in the town, the high street. The fact that burghs in Scotland were plantations without significant antecedents is reflected in the uniformity of their layout, when making one's way through old burghs, medieval times can often be conjured up by such landmarks as street names. Over half of the single-street plans were bounded partly or entirely by back lanes, which are especially characteristic of the plans of towns granted burgh status before 1250. Twelve burghs have a parallel-street system, nearly all on the east coast with a striking concentration around the firths of Forth and Tay; these burghs had a flourishing trade with the Continent and their street pattern may be no more than a tribute to the prosperity of Scotland before the Union.
