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). 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 , 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 and
Kincardineshire. 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. 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. 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. ==Military units==