Scottish Lowlands
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(August 2014) |
Lowlands
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 The Lowlands, shown in light green | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Demonym | Lowlander |
| Time zone | UTC+0(GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1(BST) |
TheLowlands(Scots:LallansorLawlands,pronounced[ˈlɑːlən(d)z,ˈlo̜ːl-];[1]Scottish Gaelic:a' Ghalldachd,lit. 'place of the foreigners',pronounced[əˈɣauɫ̪t̪əxk]) is a cultural andhistorical regionofScotland.[2]
The region is characterised by its relatively flat or gently rolling terrain as opposed to the mountainous landscapes of theScottish Highlands.This area includes cities likeEdinburghandGlasgowand is known for its fertile farmland, historic sites, and urban centres. It is the more populous and industrialised part of Scotland compared to the sparsely populated Highlands.
Culturally, the Lowlands and theHighlandsdiverged from theLate Middle Agesinto themodern period,whenLowland ScotsreplacedScottish Gaelicthroughout most of the Lowlands.
Geography
[edit]Geographically, Scotland is divided into three distinct areas: theHighlands,the Central plain (Central Belt,in theCentral Lowlands), and theSouthern Uplands.The Lowlands cover roughly the latter two. The northeast plain is also "low-land", both geographically and culturally, but in some contexts may be grouped together with the Highlands.
The Lowlands is not an official geographical or administrative area of the country. There are two main topographic regions: the Lowlands and theSouthern Uplands.The term "Lowlands" mainly refers to theCentral Lowlands.However, in normal usage it refers to those parts ofScotlandnot in theHighlands(orGàidhealtachd).[citation needed]The boundary is usually considered to be a line betweenStonehavenandHelensburgh(on theFirth of Clyde). The Lowlands lie south and east of the line. Some parts of the Lowlands (such as theSouthern Uplands) are not physically "low",Merrickfor example reaching 2,766 feet (843 m), while some areas indisputably in the Highlands (such asIslay) are low-lying.
For other purposes, the boundary varies; but if theBoundary Faultis used, then the traditional Scottish counties entirely in the Lowlands areAyrshire,Berwickshire,Clackmannanshire,Dumfriesshire,East Lothian,Fife,Kinross-shire,Kirkcudbrightshire,Lanarkshire,Midlothian,Peeblesshire,Renfrewshire,Roxburghshire,Selkirkshire,West Lothian,andWigtownshire.Prior to 1921, the counties of East Lothian, Midlothian, and West Lothian were known as Haddingtonshire, Edinburghshire, and Linlithgowshire.
Traditional Scottish counties which straddle the Boundary fault includeAngus,Dunbartonshire,Stirlingshire,Perthshire,Kincardineshire,Aberdeenshire,Banffshire,andMoray.
The term "Lowlands" is sometimes used to refer specifically to the "Central Lowlands",an area also known as the" Midland Valley ". This area mainly encompasses the basins of theRivers ForthandClyde,and houses approximately 80 percent of Scotland's population (3.5 million in theCentral Belt). Historically, the Midland Valley has been Scotland's most agriculturally productive region. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, it experienced significant industrialisation and urbanisation, driven by coal deposits. While coal mining and heavy industry have declined ever since, the Midland Valley's economic importance endures. Today, it remains a central hub of the Scottish economy, with a focus on electronics, computer manufacturing, and service sectors like telecommunications, computer software, and finance.[3]
The southernmost counties of Scotland, nearest theAnglo-Scottish border,are also known as theBorders.They are sometimes considered separately from the rest of the Lowlands. Many ancestors of theScotch-Irish,as they are known in the United States, orUlster-Scots,originated from the lowlands and borders region before migrating to theUlster Plantationin the 17th century and later theAmerican frontier,many prior to theAmerican Revolution.[4][5][6][7]
The term Scottish Lowlands is used with reference to theScots languagein contrast to theScottish Gaelicspoken in the Highlands (although historically also in the lowlands until the 15th century and 18th century in Galloway), to theScottish historyand to theScottish clansystem, as well as in family history andgenealogy.[2]
Military units
[edit]Military units associated with the region at various times include theLowland Brigade,theRoyal Scotsand the52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division.[8]
Notes
[edit]- ^SND: LawlandArchived2012-01-21 at theWayback Machine
- ^ab"Lowlands | region, Scotland, United Kingdom".Encyclopædia Britannica.Retrieved23 July2020.
- ^"Lowlands | Scotland, Facts, Culture, & Map | Britannica".www.britannica.com.16 August 2023.Retrieved4 September2023.
- ^Rouse, Parke Jr. (1992).The Great Wagon Road: From Philadelphia to the South(1st ed.). Dietz Press.ISBN978-0875170657.
- ^Leyburn, James G. (1989) [1962].The Scotch-Irish: A Social History(Reprint ed.).University of North Carolina Press.pp.317–319.ISBN978-0807842591.
- ^Jones, Maldwyn A.(1980)."Scotch-Irish".InThernstrom, Stephan;Orlov, Ann;Handlin, Oscar(eds.).Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups.Cambridge, Mass.:The Belknap Press ofHarvard University Press.pp. 895–908.ISBN0-674-37512-2.OCLC6554009.
- ^Fischer, David Hackett(1989).Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America.New York:Oxford University Press.pp. 605–782.ISBN0-19-503794-4.OCLC20012134.
- ^Atkinson, C.T. (January 1924)."The Lowland Divisions".Scottish Historical Review.21(82): 133–139.
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