Scottish Lowlands: Difference between revisions

Lowlands

*A' Ghalldachd* (Scottish Gaelic)
*Lallans, Lawlands* (Scots)
Lowlands A' Ghalldachd (Scottish Gaelic); Lallans, Lawlands (Scots)
	The Lowlands, shown in light green
Country	Scotland
Demonym	Lowlander
Time zone	UTC+0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (BST)

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The Lowlands (Scots: Lallans or Lawlands, pronounced [ˈlɑːlən(d)z, ˈlo̜ːl-];^[1] Scottish Gaelic: a' Ghalldachd, lit. 'place of the foreigners', pronounced [ə ˈɣauɫ̪t̪əxk]) is a cultural and historical region of Scotland.^[2]

The region is characterised by its relatively flat or gently rolling terrain as opposed to the mountainous landscapes of the Scottish Highlands. This area includes cities like Edinburgh and Glasgow and 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 the Highlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands.

Geography

Geographically, Scotland is divided into three distinct areas: the Highlands, the Central plain (Central Belt, in the Central Lowlands), and the Southern 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 the Southern Uplands. The term "Lowlands" mainly refers to the Central Lowlands. However, in normal usage it refers to those parts of Scotland not in the Highlands (or Gàidhealtachd).^{[citation needed]} The boundary is usually considered to be a line between Stonehaven and Helensburgh (on the Firth of Clyde). The Lowlands lie south and east of the line. Some parts of the Lowlands (such as the Southern Uplands) are not physically "low", Merrick for example reaching 2,766 feet (843 m), while some areas indisputably in the Highlands (such as Islay) are low-lying.

For other purposes, the boundary varies; but if the Boundary Fault is used, then the traditional Scottish counties entirely in the Lowlands are Ayrshire, Berwickshire, Clackmannanshire, Dumfriesshire, East Lothian, Fife, Kinross-shire, Kirkcudbrightshire, Lanarkshire, Midlothian, Peeblesshire, Renfrewshire, Roxburghshire, Selkirkshire, West Lothian, and Wigtownshire. 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 include Angus, Dunbartonshire, Stirlingshire, Perthshire, Kincardineshire, Aberdeenshire, Banffshire, and Moray.

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 the Rivers Forth and Clyde, and houses approximately 80 percent of Scotland's population (3.5 million in the Central 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 the Anglo-Scottish border, are also known as the Borders. They are sometimes considered separately from the rest of the Lowlands. Many ancestors of the Scotch-Irish, as they are known in the United States, or Ulster-Scots, originated from the lowlands and borders region before migrating to the Ulster Plantation in the 17th century and later the American frontier, many prior to the American Revolution.^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]

The term Scottish Lowlands is used with reference to the Scots language in contrast to the Scottish Gaelic spoken in the Highlands (although historically also in the lowlands until the 15th century and 18th century in Galloway), to the Scottish history and to the Scottish clan system, as well as in family history and genealogy.^[2]

Military units

Military units associated with the region at various times include the Lowland Brigade, the Royal Scots and the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division.^[8]

Notes

^ SND: Lawland Archived 2012-01-21 at the Wayback Machine
^ ^a ^b "Lowlands | region, Scotland, United Kingdom". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
^ "Lowlands | Scotland, Facts, Culture, & Map | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 16 August 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
^ Rouse, Parke Jr. (1992). The Great Wagon Road: From Philadelphia to the South (1st ed.). Dietz Press. ISBN 978-0875170657.
^ Leyburn, James G. (1989) [1962]. The Scotch-Irish: A Social History (Reprint ed.). University of North Carolina Press. pp. 317–319. ISBN 978-0807842591.
^ Jones, Maldwyn A. (1980). "Scotch-Irish". In Thernstrom, Stephan; Orlov, Ann; Handlin, Oscar (eds.). Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups. Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. pp. 895–908. ISBN 0-674-37512-2. OCLC 6554009.
^ Fischer, David Hackett (1989). Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 605–782. ISBN 0-19-503794-4. OCLC 20012134.
^ Atkinson, C.T. (January 1924). "The Lowland Divisions". Scottish Historical Review. 21 (82): 133–139. JSTOR 25519633.

[1] SND: Lawland Archived 2012-01-21 at the Wayback Machine

[EB-2] "Lowlands | region, Scotland, United Kingdom". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 23 July 2020.

[3] "Lowlands | Scotland, Facts, Culture, & Map | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 16 August 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.

[4] Rouse, Parke Jr. (1992). The Great Wagon Road: From Philadelphia to the South (1st ed.). Dietz Press. ISBN 978-0875170657.

[5] Leyburn, James G. (1989) [1962]. The Scotch-Irish: A Social History (Reprint ed.). University of North Carolina Press. pp. 317–319. ISBN 978-0807842591.

[6] Jones, Maldwyn A. (1980). "Scotch-Irish". In Thernstrom, Stephan; Orlov, Ann; Handlin, Oscar (eds.). Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups. Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. pp. 895–908. ISBN 0-674-37512-2. OCLC 6554009.

[7] Fischer, David Hackett (1989). Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 605–782. ISBN 0-19-503794-4. OCLC 20012134.

[8] Atkinson, C.T. (January 1924). "The Lowland Divisions". Scottish Historical Review. 21 (82): 133–139. JSTOR 25519633.

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 }}
-The '''Lowlands''' ({{lang-sco|Lallans}} or {{lang|sco|Lawlands}}; {{lang-gd|a' Ghalldachd||place of the foreigners}}, {{IPA-gd|ˈaˈɣauɫ̪t̪əxk|pron}}) is a cultural and historical region of [[Scotland]].<ref name="EB">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Lowlands {{!}} region, Scotland, United Kingdom |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Lowlands-region-Scotland |access-date=23 July 2020}}</ref> Culturally, the Lowlands and the [[Scottish Highlands|Highlands]] diverged from the [[Late Middle Ages]] into the [[modern period]], when [[Scots language|Lowland Scots]] replaced [[Scottish Gaelic]] throughout most of the Lowlands.
+The '''Lowlands''' ({{langx|sco|Lallans}} or {{lang|sco|Lawlands}}, {{IPA|sco|ˈlɑːlən(d)z, ˈlo̜ːl-|pron}};<ref>[http://www.dsl.ac.uk/dsl/getent4.php?query=lawland&sset=1&fset=20&printset=20&searchtype=full&dregion=form&dtext=both SND: Lawland] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121193351/http://www.dsl.ac.uk/dsl/getent4.php?query=lawland&sset=1&fset=20&printset=20&searchtype=full&dregion=form&dtext=both |date=2012-01-21 }}</ref> {{langx|gd|a' Ghalldachd||place of the foreigners}}, {{IPA|gd|ə ˈɣauɫ̪t̪əxk|pron}}) is a cultural and [[historical region]] of [[Scotland]].<ref name="EB">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Lowlands {{!}} region, Scotland, United Kingdom |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Lowlands-region-Scotland |access-date=23 July 2020}}</ref>
+The region is characterised by its relatively flat or gently rolling terrain as opposed to the mountainous landscapes of the [[Scottish Highlands]]. This area includes cities like [[Edinburgh]] and [[Glasgow]] and 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 the [[Scottish Highlands|Highlands]] diverged from the [[Late Middle Ages]] into the [[modern period]], when [[Scots language|Lowland Scots]] replaced [[Scottish Gaelic]] throughout most of the Lowlands.
 == Geography ==
+Geographically, Scotland is divided into three distinct areas: the [[Scottish Highlands|Highlands]], the Central plain ([[Central Belt]], in the [[Central Lowlands]]), and the [[Southern 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 the [[Southern Uplands]]. The term "Lowlands" mainly refers to the  [[Central Lowlands]]. However, in normal usage it refers to those parts of [[Scotland]] not in the [[Scottish Highlands|Highlands]] (or [[Gàidhealtachd]]).{{citation needed|date=September 2018}} The boundary is usually considered to be a line between [[Stonehaven]] and [[Helensburgh]] (on the [[Firth of Clyde]]). The Lowlands lie south and east of the line. Note that some parts of the Lowlands (such as the [[Southern Uplands]]) are not physically "low," [[Merrick, Galloway|Merrick]] for example reaching {{convert|2766|feet}}, while some areas indisputably in the Highlands (such as [[Islay]]) are low-lying.
+The Lowlands is not an official geographical or administrative area of the country. There are two main topographic regions: the  Lowlands and the [[Southern Uplands]]. The term "Lowlands" mainly refers to the  [[Central Lowlands]]. However, in normal usage it refers to those parts of [[Scotland]] not in the [[Scottish Highlands|Highlands]] (or [[Gàidhealtachd]]).{{citation needed|date=September 2018}} The boundary is usually considered to be a line between [[Stonehaven]] and [[Helensburgh]] (on the [[Firth of Clyde]]). The Lowlands lie south and east of the line. Some parts of the Lowlands (such as the [[Southern Uplands]]) are not physically "low", [[Merrick, Galloway|Merrick]] for example reaching {{convert|2766|feet}}, while some areas indisputably in the Highlands (such as [[Islay]]) are low-lying.
-For other purposes, the boundary varies; but if the Boundary Fault is used, then the traditional Scottish counties entirely in the Lowlands are [[Ayrshire]], [[Berwickshire]], [[Clackmannanshire]], [[Dumfriesshire]],  [[East Lothian]], [[Fife]], [[Kinross-shire]], [[Kirkcudbrightshire]], [[Lanarkshire]], [[Midlothian]], [[Peeblesshire]], [[Renfrewshire (historic)|Renfrewshire]], [[Roxburghshire]], [[Selkirkshire]], [[West Lothian]], and [[Wigtownshire]]. Prior to 1921, the counties of East Lothian, Midlothian, and West Lothian were known as Haddingtonshire, Edinburghshire, and Linlithgowshire.
+For other purposes, the boundary varies; but if the [[Highland Boundary Fault|Boundary Fault]] is used, then the traditional Scottish counties entirely in the Lowlands are [[Ayrshire]], [[Berwickshire]], [[Clackmannanshire]], [[Dumfriesshire]],  [[East Lothian]], [[Fife]], [[Kinross-shire]], [[Kirkcudbrightshire]], [[Lanarkshire]], [[Midlothian]], [[Peeblesshire]], [[Renfrewshire (historic)|Renfrewshire]], [[Roxburghshire]], [[Selkirkshire]], [[West Lothian]], and [[Wigtownshire]]. 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 include [[Angus, Scotland|Angus]], [[Dunbartonshire]], [[Stirlingshire]], [[Perthshire]], [[Kincardineshire]], [[Aberdeenshire (traditional)|Aberdeenshire]], [[Banffshire]], and [[Moray]].
+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 the [[River Forth|Rivers Forth]] and [[River Clyde|Clyde]], and houses approximately 80 percent of Scotland's population (3.5 million in the [[Central 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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-16 |title=Lowlands {{!}} Scotland, Facts, Culture, & Map {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Lowlands-region-Scotland |access-date=2023-09-04 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>
-Geographically, Scotland is divided into three distinct areas: the [[Scottish Highlands|Highlands]], the Central plain ([[Central Belt]], in the [[Central Lowlands]]), and the [[Southern 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 southernmost counties of Scotland, nearest the [[Anglo-Scottish border]], are also known as the [[Scottish Borders|Borders]]. They are sometimes considered separately from the rest of the Lowlands. Many ancestors of the [[Scotch-Irish American|Scotch-Irish]], as they are known in the United States, or [[Ulster Scots people|Ulster-Scots]], originated from the lowlands and borders region before migrating to the [[Ulster Plantation]] in the 17th century and later the [[American frontier]], many prior to the [[American Revolution]].<ref>{{Cite book | last=Rouse | first=Parke Jr. |title=The Great Wagon Road: From Philadelphia to the South |publisher=Dietz Press |year=1992 |isbn=978-0875170657 |edition=1st}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Leyburn |first=James G. |url=https://archive.org/details/scotchirishsocia0000leyb |title=The Scotch-Irish: A Social History |publisher=[[University of North Carolina Press]] |year=1989 |isbn=978-0807842591 |edition=Reprint |pages=[https://archive.org/details/scotchirishsocia0000leyb/page/317 317–319] |orig-year=1962 |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Jones |first=Maldwyn A. |url=https://archive.org/details/harvardencyclope00ther/ |title=Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups |publisher=The Belknap Press of [[Harvard University Press]] |year=1980 |isbn=0-674-37512-2 |editor-last=Thernstrom |editor-first=Stephan |editor-link=Stephan Thernstrom |location=[[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge, Mass.]] |pages=895&ndash;908 |chapter=Scotch-Irish |oclc=6554009 |author-link=Maldwyn Jones |editor-last2=Orlov |editor-first2=Ann |editor-last3=Handlin |editor-first3=Oscar |editor-link3=Oscar Handlin |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/harvardencyclope00ther/page/895 |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Fischer |first=David Hackett |title=Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America |title-link=Albion's Seed |year=1989 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|isbn=0-19-503794-4 |location=New York |pages=605&ndash;782 |oclc=20012134 |author-link=David Hackett Fischer}}</ref>
-The term Lowlands is sometimes used in a more restricted sense to refer specifically to the Midland Valley. Much of this area, which has a characteristic structure of sedimentary rocks with coal deposits, lies within the basins of the [[River Forth|Rivers Forth]] and [[River Clyde|Clyde]]. Historically, this valley has been the most agriculturally productive region of Scotland.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}} During the 19th and early 20th centuries, coal deposits promoted concentrated industrial activity and urbanization in the Midland Valley, where 80 percent of the population of Scotland now live (3.5 million in the [[Central Belt]]). While coal mining and other [[heavy industry]] have declined in the region, it remains at the centre of the Scottish economy, with electronics and computer manufacture and service sectors such as telecommunications, computer software, and finance.
-The southernmost counties of Scotland, nearest the [[Anglo-Scottish border]], are also known as the [[Scottish Borders|Borders]]. They are sometimes considered separately from the rest of the Lowlands. Many ancestors of the [[Scotch-Irish American|Scotch-Irish]], as they are known in the United States, or [[Ulster Scots people|Ulster-Scots]], originated from the lowlands and borders region before migrating to the [[Ulster Plantation]] in the 17th century and later the [[American frontier]], many prior to the [[American Revolution]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rouse, Jr. |first=Parke |title=The Great Wagon Road: From Philadelphia to the South |publisher=Dietz Press |year=1992 |isbn=978-0875170657 |edition=1st}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Leyburn |first=James G. |url=https://archive.org/details/scotchirishsocia0000leyb |title=The Scotch-Irish: A Social History |publisher=[[University of North Carolina Press]] |year=1989 |isbn=978-0807842591 |edition=Reprint |pages=[https://archive.org/details/scotchirishsocia0000leyb/page/317 317–319] |orig-year=1962 |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Jones |first=Maldwyn A. |url=https://archive.org/details/harvardencyclope00ther/ |title=Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups |publisher=The Belknap Press of [[Harvard University Press]] |year=1980 |isbn=0-674-37512-2 |editor-last=Thernstrom |editor-first=Stephan |editor-link=Stephan Thernstrom |location=[[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge, Mass.]] |pages=895&ndash;908 |chapter=Scotch-Irish |oclc=6554009 |author-link=Maldwyn Jones |editor-last2=Orlov |editor-first2=Ann |editor-last3=Handlin |editor-first3=Oscar |editor-link3=Oscar Handlin |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/harvardencyclope00ther/page/895 |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Fischer |first=David Hackett |title=Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America |title-link=Albion's Seed |year=1989 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|isbn=0-19-503794-4 |location=New York |pages=605&ndash;782 |oclc=20012134 |author-link=David Hackett Fischer}}</ref>
 The term Scottish Lowlands is used with reference to the [[Scots language]] in contrast to the [[Scottish Gaelic]] spoken in the Highlands (although historically also in the lowlands until the 15th century and 18th century in Galloway), to the [[History of Scotland|Scottish history]] and to the [[Scottish clan]] system, as well as in family history and [[genealogy]].<ref name="EB" />
+==Military units==
+Military units associated with the region at various times include the [[Lowland Brigade (United Kingdom)|Lowland Brigade]], the [[Royal Scots]] and the [[52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Atkinson |first1=C.T. |title=The Lowland Divisions |journal=Scottish Historical Review |date=January 1924 |volume=21 |issue=82 |pages=133–139 |jstor=25519633 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25519633}}</ref>
 ==Notes==
@@ Line 41: / Line 48: @@
 {{Authority control}}
-[[Category:Historical regions]]
+[[Category:Scottish Lowlands| ]]
+[[Category:Historical regions in the United Kingdom]]
 [[Category:Geography of Scotland]]
 [[Category:Regions of Scotland|*]]