new lanark

New Lanark is an eighteenth century restored cotton mill village on the banks of the River Clyde in Southern Scotland. It was inscribed by UNESCO in 2001 as a cultural World Heritage Site.

New Lanark was created as a cotton-spinning village in the late eighteenth to early nineteenth century and was transformed under the management of Robert Owen.

Owen greatly improved the conditions, facilities and services for the workers and their families and this led to many social improvements including progressive education, factory reform, more humane working practices and garden cities.

Management of the site

New Lanark is still a living community in the care of the New Lanark Trust. Their aim is to preserve the area as a sustainable community with a resident population and new opportunities for employment. The Trust has ensured the conservation of the site and carries out many educational and commercial activities there.  

The management of the site is currently under review by Historic Scotland and South Lanarkshire Council.

The latest edition of the New Lanark World Heritage Newsletter can be accessed here [pdf, 1.8mb] and further information about New Lanark as a world heritage site can be found here.