Lothian (Lowden in Scots, Lodainn in Gaelic) forms a traditional region of Scotland, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills. It takes its name from the semi-legendary Brythonic King Loth or Lot. In the 7th century it became the northern part of the Saxon kingdom of Northumbria.
It is notable in Scotland for being the only part of the nation to have been thoroughly Anglo-Saxon throughout Scottish history and is one of the few areas where the Gaelic language did not take root. Over time and due to various factors the language of the Lothians and the former kingdom of Northumbria, Inglis (which became modern day Lowland Scots) came to displace Gaelic as the language of lowland Scotland and adopted for itself the title of 'Scots' or 'Scottis' which had previously referred to Gaelic — which was subsequently denigrated as 'Erse' or 'Irish'.
