People with life-threatening injuries will be initially taken to the bases for their treatment.
NHS chiefs estimate that by speeding up access to emergency care up to 40 lives a year could be saved.
Local hospitals will still provide emergency treatment for people in remote parts of the country.
Opening in 2016, the four centres will be located at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, and Glasgow's new Southern General.
These hubs will form part of a new national major trauma network which will treat about 1,200 patients a year.
The new network will ensure emergency patients are assessed and treated immediately by a specialist team with access to the wide range of specialist facilities and treatments needed.
Local hospitals will continue to care for people with less serious injuries, such as fractures and minor head injuries as well as patients who are unable to reach one of the new bases within a reasonable time period.
Four new trauma centres will be set-up across Scotland's hospitals to help provide urgent emergency care for patents.