Introduction
Demographic area of highest population density in Scotland
Not to be confused with Central Lowlands, which includes this area.
Area in ScotlandCentral BeltArea2012 night image of Scotland from space, with band of near-continuous light from habitation across the Central BeltCentral BeltLocation within ScotlandOS grid referenceNS 83764 74675CountryScotlandSovereign stateUnited Kingdom
List of places
UK
Scotland
55°57′04″N 3°51′47″W / 55.951°N 3.863°W / 55.951; -3.863
The Central Belt of Scotland is the area of highest population density within Scotland. Depending on the definition used, it has a population of between 2.4 and 4.2 million (the country's total was around 5.4 million in 2019), including multiple major Scottish settlements such as Ayr, Paisley, Glasgow, East Kilbride, Livingston, Kilmarnock and Edinburgh.
Despite the name, it is not geographically central but is nevertheless at the "waist" of Scotland on a conventional map and the term "central" is used in many local government, police, and NGO designations. It was formerly known as the Midlands or Scottish Midlands, but this term has fallen out of fashion. The Central Belt lies between the Highlands to the north and the Southern Uplands to the south.
In the early 21st century, predictions were made that due to economic migration indicators, the urban areas of Glasgow and Edinburgh, whose centres are approximately 41 miles (66 km) apart, could merge to create a megalopolis over the coming decades.
Smaller Central Belt
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Cartogram of the Central Belt depicting the populations of its constituent local authorities, contrasting with its area which is far smaller than the sparsely-populated areas to its north and south
The Central Belt area with urban areas (pink), including Glasgow to the west and Edinburgh to the east
The area is often considered as the triangle defined by the M8, M80 and M9 motorways stretching from Greenock and Glasgow in the west to Edinburgh in the east, and has been referred to as the Lowland Triangle. encompassing towns such as Paisley, Cambuslang, Hamilton, Stirling, Falkirk, Cumbernauld, Livingston and Bathgate. The population of the local authority areas which are wholly within this territory and have no extensive unpopulated areas was approximately 2.39 million in 2018.
Larger Central Belt
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The larger Central Belt area with urban areas (pink), including Ayrshire in the south-west and Tayside to the north-east
The larger Central Belt is a trapezoid, not precisely defined, but essentially encompassing the generally low-lying areas from Helensburgh to Montrose (the Highland Boundary Fault) and from Girvan to Dunbar (the Southern Uplands Fault). This also takes in fairly densely populated regions such as Ayrshire and East Lothian, and encompasses all the major cities of Scotland, except for Aberdeen and Inverness which are located in the north of the country, as well as the bulk of Scotland's industrial works. Including rural parts of the council areas involved, the total population was around 4.28 million in 2018.
Similar terms
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There are several terms in common usage in a Scottish context with a similar meaning to "Central Belt".
The Central Lowlands is geologically defined and covers an area that stretches further to the north east than the Central Belt.
The "Midland Valley" is a less commonly used expression synonymous with "Central Lowlands".
The Scottish Lowlands are topographically and culturally defined and include all of Scotland outside of the Highlands and Islands, including the Southern Uplands.
Central Scotland is a less well-defined term used to mean various things, including "Central Lowlands" and "Central Belt".
