Lowland Football League
The Scottish Lowland Football League and the Park’s Motor Group Scottish Lowland League for sponsorship reasons is a senior football league based in central and southern Scotland. The league sits at level 5 on the Scottish football league system, acting as a feeder to the Scottish Professional Football League, and is above three regional leagues at level 6.
Founded in 2013, it is currently composed of 18 member clubs in a single division. Geographically, the league covers an area south of Dundee in the Lowlands area of Scotland.
Since 2014–15, it has featured in the senior pyramid system. The winners take part in an end of season promotion play-off with the Highland Football League champions, with the winners then competing against the bottom club in Scottish League Two for a place in the SPFL. Promotion and relegation also exists between the three Lowlands-based regional leagues at level 6.
Season 2025–26 will be the last season in the league's current format ahead of the league splitting into Lowland League East and Lowland League West ahead of season 2026–27.
Format
Teams play each other twice in the league, receiving three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned Lowland League champions. If points are equal, goal difference, and then goals scored determines the champion. If this still does not result in a winner, the tied teams must take part in a championship play-off match at a neutral venue to determine the final placings.Promotion and relegation
Since 2014–15, promotion to the Scottish Professional Football League is via an annual play-off, beginning with the Lowland League champions facing the champions of the Highland Football League over two legs. There is no away goals rule so if scores are equal on aggregate after full-time in the second leg, the game will go to extra time, and then penalties if required. The winners will then face a play-off against the bottom club in League Two with the same rules applying. If the League Two club loses the play-off final, they are relegated to the Lowland League if they are south of 56.4513N latitude.Promotion to the Lowland League is via a three match round robin play-off between the winners of the East of Scotland Football League, South of Scotland Football League, and West of Scotland Football League, subject to their respective champions meeting league membership criteria. If two clubs meet the criteria, they will face each other home and away, if only one club meets the criteria, they will be promoted without a play-off, however if no club meets the criteria there will be no promotion to the Lowland League.
Based on the number of clubs remaining after the results of promotion to and from the league are known, the bottom and possibly second-bottom placed clubs will be relegated to the East of Scotland Football League, South of Scotland Football League, or West of Scotland Football League depending on their geographical location.
Scottish Cup
All Lowland League clubs are full members of the Scottish Football Association and qualify automatically for the first round of the Scottish Cup.The furthest a Lowland League team has reached in the Scottish Cup is the fifth round, achieved by The Spartans in 2014–15, East Kilbride in 2015-16 and BSC Glasgow in 2019-20.
History
The Lowland Football League was intended on helping institute a football pyramid including promotion and relegation from Scottish football's national divisions down to its junior and amateur levels by the Scottish Football Association.Formation
The Lowland League was founded by a unanimous vote of members of the Scottish Football Association on 11 June 2013, The league would be composed of teams drawn from the East of Scotland, South of Scotland, and junior leagues, who met on 17 June 2013 to elect between them the founder-members of the new league.While most clubs were invited to submit bids to join, Preston Athletic, The Spartans and Threave Rovers were offered automatic entry as they were already fully licensed by the SFA. While 27 clubs had registered their interest, the Lowland League received 17 applications to join. After the meeting on 17 June, it was announced there would be 12 teams in the league, and that they would be: Dalbeattie Star, East Kilbride, Edinburgh City, Gala Fairydean Rovers, Gretna 2008, Preston Athletic, Selkirk, The Spartans, Threave Rovers, University of Stirling, Vale of Leithen, and Whitehill Welfare.
Expansion
Subsequent seasons saw the number of participating clubs increase. Two clubs, Edinburgh University and BSC Glasgow, were admitted to the league for the 2014-15 season. They were joined the following season by Cumbernauld Colts. Civil Service Strollers and Hawick Royal Albert joined in June 2016, making it a 16-team league.Pyramid movement
The end of the 2015–16 season was the first time that founding members would leave the league; Edinburgh City became the first club to be promoted to the SPFL, while Threave Rovers declined the opportunity to re-apply to the league after finishing bottom and rejoined the South of Scotland Football League. The same season also saw East Stirlingshire become the first club relegated into the league from Scottish League Two.Another founding member would leave the league at the end of the 2016-17 season as Preston Athletic were relegated to the East of Scotland League. They were replaced by Edusport Academy who became the first club to gain promotion from the South of Scotland League.
In 2017–18, the first promotion play-off took place between the champions of the East of Scotland and South of Scotland leagues, with former SJFA East Region club [Kelty Heart of Midlothian F.C.|Hearts F.C.|Kelty Hearts] winning 10–0 on aggregate over Threave Rovers to gain promotion.
Decline of Selkirk
During the 2018–19 season, Selkirk resigned their membership in the league owing to insurmountable difficulties. It was agreed by the Lowland League board that all fixtures played by and to be played by Selkirk in 2018–19 would be expunged from the record along with any other data involving Selkirk for that season. The Lowland League moved forward with 15 clubs, however Whitehill Welfare, who finished bottom in the season's competition, were still relegated to the East of Scotland League. East of Scotland champions Bonnyrigg Rose were promoted to the league after gaining their SFA membership. [Berwick Rangers F.C.|Rangers F.C.|Berwick Rangers] became the second club to be relegated into the league from the SPFL, having lost the League Two play-off against Cove Rangers.Impact of Covid
At the start of the 2019–20 season,Edusport Academy rebranded the club as the Caledonian Braves following a vote online by members of the Our Football Club.com project. The 2019–20 league season was suspended on 13 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A month later, the competition was ended with immediate effect with Kelty Hearts being declared champions on a points per game average based on the current standings. Vale of Leithen who were bottom of the league were also spared relegation.WOSFL
On 14 April 2020, the Lowland League announced it had approved 67 applications to join the new West of Scotland Football League, which included all 63 clubs from the Scottish Junior Football Association's West Region, and four others. Bonnyton Thistle already a member of the South of Scotland League decided to move due to being based in Kilmarnock. The West of Scotland League acts as a feeder league on the same tier as the East of Scotland Football League and South of Scotland Football League.Kelty Hearts promotion
The league consisted of 17 teams for the 2020–21 season with East of Scotland champions Bo'ness United being promoted after gaining their SFA membership in June 2020. The start of the league season was delayed until October 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and games were played behind closed doors due to Scottish Government restrictions. On 11 January 2021, the league was suspended by the Scottish Football Association due to the escalating pandemic situation. On 30 March, the league announced that a majority of clubs had voted to curtail the season, with a points per game basis used to finalise standings and Kelty Hearts were declared as the champions. Kelty became the second Lowland League club to gain promotion to the SPFL after beating Brechin City 3–1 on aggregate in the Pyramid play-off final.B teams
Celtic and Rangers were approached by the Lowland League for a proposal to admit "B" teams into the league for the 2021-22 season. The proposal was given provisional approval by the majority of member clubs with the vote being confirmed at the leagues AGM on 27 May 2021. This arrangement was renewed for the 2022-23 season, with Hearts also providing a B team. Celtic and Hearts continued for the 2023-24 season however Rangers withdrew their entry in June 2023.Member clubs
| Team | Location | Stadium | Surface | Capacity | Seats | |
| Albion Rovers | Coatbridge | Cliftonhill | Grass | 1,238 | 489 | |
| Berwick Rangers |  efn-la|Celtic B are ground-sharing with Airdrieonians.efn-la|East Stirlingshire are ground-sharing with Falkirk.efn-la|Heart of Midlothian B are ground-sharing with [The The Spartans F.C.|Spartans F.C.|The Spartans].efn-la|University of Stirling are ground-sharing with Stirling Albion.notelist-laFormer members;Promoted to the SPFL
Seasons† Season curtailed due to COVID-19 pandemic - Kelty were announced as champions for the 2019-20 and 2020–21 season. A points per game basis was used to finalise standings.Records;Biggest home win: Hearts B 12-0 Edinburgh University, 5 January 2024;Biggest away win: Vale of Leithen 0–13 Bonnyrigg Rose, 6 October 2021 ;Most goals in a game: The Spartans 11–2 Selkirk, 7 December 2013 ;Most points in a season: 87; Bonnyrigg Rose, 2021-22 ;Fewest points in a season: 5; Selkirk, 2013-14 and Vale of Leithen, 2021-22 ;Longest unbeaten run in a season: 21; Kelty Hearts, 2019–20 ;Most wins in a season: 28; Bonnyrigg Rose, 2021-22 ;Fewest wins in a season: 1; Hawick Royal Albert, 2017-18, Vale of Leithen, 2021-22, Dalbeattie Star, 2022-23 ;Most draws in a season: 12; Cowdenbeath, 2024-25 ;Most defeats in a season: 31; Vale of Leithen, 2021-22 ;Fewest defeats in a season:1; Edinburgh City, 2014-15 and Kelty Hearts, 2019-20 ;Most goals scored in a season: 114; East Kilbride, 2024-25 ;Fewest goals scored in a season: 10; Vale of Leithen, 2021-22 ;Most goals conceded in a season: 166; Vale of Leithen, 2021-22 ;Fewest goals conceded in a season: 12; East Kilbride, 2018-19 ;Notes ManagersDougie Samuel is the most successful manager of the Lowland League having won three league titles with Spartans. Spartans won the inaugural league title during the 2013-14 season, clinched their second title in 2018, and third title in 2023, as well as winning promotion to the SPFL.Gary Jardine, Barry Ferguson, and Robbie Horn have also guided their clubs to promotion to the SPFL after winning the Lowland League. East Kilbride have won the title a record four times with different managers, Martin Lauchlan in 2017, Stuart Malcolm in 2019, and Mick Kennedy in 2024 and 2025.
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