Central Lowlands

This area has also experienced intense volcanism, Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh being the remnant of a once much larger volcano active in the Carboniferous period some 300 million years ago.

The fault allowed the Midland Valley to descend as a major rift by as much as 4000 metres and there was subsequently vertical movement.

[5] The Southern Uplands Fault runs from the Rhins of Galloway in the west towards Dunbar on the east coast 30 miles (50 km) from Edinburgh.

[6][7] A productive combination of fertile low-lying agricultural land and significant deposits of economically valuable coal and iron have led to the Central Lowlands being much more densely populated than the rest of Scotland.

The cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dunfermline, Stirling, Perth and Dundee all lie in the Central Lowlands, and over 75% of Scotland's population lives in this region.