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The Lowlands, Visitor & Tourism Guide

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Unitary authorities/counties include:* Edinburgh, Glasgow, the Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway.

National Park: Part of Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.

National Scenic Area: The Trossachs, Loch Lomond, Upper Tweeddale, Eildon & Leaderfoot, Nith Estuary, East Stewartry Coast, Fleet Valley.

We've carved Scotland into two regions
We've divided Scotland into two regions north and south of a major geological feature called The Highland Boundary Fault which runs from Arran to the west across to Stonehaven in the east. If you click on the 'Terrain' setting on the Google map, you will see a flat area running into a crumpled, mountainous area north of Glasgow. This is the Boundary Fault.

To the north of this lies The Highlands & Islands and to the south are The Lowlands. Unlike England's regions, these are not officially recognised areas but it's necessary to carve up the country because there's so much to see and do.

This unofficial border cuts through many of Scotland's 'unitary authorities' so we've placed some of those in The Highlands & Islands region and others in The Lowlands region.

Glasgow and Edinburgh
The region contains most of Scotland's unitary authorities and much of the country's population which is concentrated in the area around Glasgow and Edinburgh. As the name suggest, the landscape is different to that north of The Highland Boundary Fault.

Over 2 million people or about 40% of the Scottish population live in and around Glasgow. The city itself is impressive. Visit the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and Glasgow Science Centre, The Burrell Collection and St Mungo Museum. A short distance from the city centre is the internationlly important Burrell Collection.

Edinburgh attracts millions of visitors a year and is, behind London, the UK's second most popular destination. Its castle, National Gallery Complex and Arthur's Seat must be experienced. Edinburgh Old Town and New Town form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

National Park and National Scenic Areas
On the border of The Lowlands and The Highlands & Islands is Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. There are a number of National Scenic Areas, too.

Stirling, with its impressive castle, is often described as a gateway to The Highlands & Islands.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites
The Lowlands region has three of Scotland's five UNESCO World Heritage Sites. To the south east of Glasgow is New Lanark. Over in Edinburgh are the city's Old Town and New Town and spanning the coastlines close to these cities from the Firth of Clyde to the Firth of Forth is the Antonine Wall.

The Scottish Borders and Robert Burns
Given that the region shares a border with England, the built environment in the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway tells a fascinating story. The abbeys of Dryburgh, Melrose, Jedburgh and Kelso must be visited. Castles such as Hermitage and peel towers such as Smailholm are bleakly functional.

To the east of the region is Alloway Kirk where Robert Burns was baptised. Further up the coast, explore the history of Largs where Scottish and Norweigan armies once clashed, a reminder of the Scandinavian influence over these lands.

[Information provided by picturetheuk]

* A note on Scotland's 32 unitary authorities

Top 10 Recommendations

Top 10 Hotels Selected from the best Hotels in The Lowlands we've listed our top 10.

Top 10 Things To Do Selected from the best Things To Do in The Lowlands we've listed our top 10.

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