Central Belt

{{Short description|Demographic area of highest population density in Scotland}} {{distinguish|text=Central Lowlands, which includes this area}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox UK place  | official_name = Central Belt | local_name = | type = Area | country = Scotland | crown_dependency =  | region =  | region1 =   | parts_type =  | parts_style =  | parts =  | p1 = | p2 =   | static_image_name = Scotland at night, as seen from space, Oct 2012.png | static_image_width =  | static_image_alt =  | static_image_caption = 2012 night image of Scotland from space, with band of near-continuous light from habitation across the Central Belt | static_image_2_name =  | static_image_2_width =  | static_image_2_alt =  | static_image_2_caption =   | area_total_sq_mi =   | area_total_km2 =   | area_footnotes =  | population =   | population_ref =    | population_density =   | population_demonym =  | os_grid_reference = NS 83764 74675 | map_type = Scotland | map_alt =  | coordinates = {{coord|55.951|-3.863|display=title|region:GB_scale:500000}} | label_position =   | other_language_name =  | other_language =  | language =  | language1 =  | website =  | hide_services = yes }}

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{{efn|The geographical centre of Scotland lies far to the north of the modern population heartlands. Various locations have been suggested including White Bridge on the B846 east of Schiehallion<ref>[http://mapzone.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapzone/didyouknow/whereis/q_16_39.html "Where is the centre of mainland Scotland?"] Ordnance Survey Retrieved 11 December 2010.</ref> and a site near the village of Newtonmore in Badenoch.<ref>See [http://www.highlandhostel.co.uk/wherearewe.htm "The 'Where Are We' page"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051201151537/http://www.highlandhostel.co.uk/wherearewe.htm |date=2005-12-01 }} highlandhostel.co.uk. Retrieved 22 September 2007.</ref>|group="Note"}} 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 {{convert|41|miles}} apart, could merge to create a megalopolis over the coming decades.<ref>[https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-travel/scotland-travel/glasgow/central-belt-to-meld-as-megacity-fksq32xp0tl Central belt 'to meld as megacity'], ''The Sunday Times'', 9 November 2014</ref><ref>[https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/leader-comment-central-belt-megacity-1-4648472 Leader comment: Central belt megacity?], ''The Scotsman'', 28 December 2017</ref>

==Smaller Central Belt== [[File:Scotland population cartogram.svg|thumb|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]] [[File:Scotland blank map (small belt).png|thumb|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'''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Murray |first1=Beth |title=Central Belt: Where is it, how did it get its name and everything else you need to know about Scotland’s coronavirus hotspot |url=https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/travel/central-belt-where-is-it-how-did-it-get-its-name-and-everything-else-you-need-to-know-about-scotlands-coronavirus-hotspot-2996457 |access-date=3 June 2024 |work=Scotsman |date=7 October 2020}}</ref> 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{{efn|West Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Falkirk, West Lothian, Edinburgh and Midlothian.}} was approximately 2.39 million in 2018.<ref name=scotgov18>[https://statistics.gov.scot/atlas/resource?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fstatistics.gov.scot%2Fid%2Fstatistical-geography%2FS92000003 Scotland], Scottish Government Statistics</ref>

==Larger Central Belt== [[File:Scotland blank map (central belt).png|thumb|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,{{efn|Argyll & Bute, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, East Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Fife, East Lothian, Stirling, Perth & Kinross, Dundee and Angus - 1.89 million, plus the 'smaller belt'.}} the total population was around 4.28 million in 2018.<ref name=scotgov18/>

==Similar terms== 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".

==See also== * The Centre of Scotland * Dublin–Belfast corridor – population 3.3 million

==Notes== {{Reflist|group="Note"}} {{notelist}}

==Citations== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{oscoor gbx|NS 83764 74675}}

*[https://www.visitscotland.com/info/tours/central-belt-way-ce2311cd Central Belt Way], VisitScotland

Category:Geography of Scotland Category:Regions of Scotland Category:Belt regions Category:Scottish Lowlands