BARRHEAD has finally been recognised as a settlement in its own right as part of a reclassification by the National Statistics Office.

The town has previously been classed as a part of Greater Glasgow despite the fact it lies within the borders of East Renfrewshire Council.

But now, thanks to an increase in population density, Barrhead has been upgraded by the Scottish Government's office. 

Previously classed as a suburb, Barrhead has been upgraded to an 'other urban' settlement. 

The town is one of five across Scotland that have been recognised in this way.

A spokesman for the National Statistics office said: "Due to changes in postcode population densities Barrhead, East Renfrewshire, is now classed as a settlement in its own right in the 2016 Classification.

"Barrhead was part of the Greater Glasgow Settlement for the 2013/2014 Classification. As a result Barrhead is now classed as an ‘other urban’ settlement."

Also on the rise are the former small towns of Dalgety Bay in Fife, Forres in Moray, Kilsyth in North Lanarkshire and Prestonpans, East Lothian, which have also been reclassified as urban areas in the latest data.

Six settlements - Blackburn, Aberdeenshire, Conon Bridge and Maryburgh in the Highlands, Garelochhead, Argyll and Bute, Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire, Leuchars and Guardbridge, Fife and Winchburgh, West Lothian - which previously had population estimates below the 3,000 mark have now been reclassified as ‘small towns’ after the numbers living there increased.