A World Heritage Site is classified as a natural or man-made site, area, or structure recognized as being of Outstanding Universal Value and therefore as deserving special protection. Sites are nominated to and designated by the World Heritage Convention, an organization of The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
New Lanark is an exceptional example of a purpose-built 18th century mill village. Thanks to an ongoing process of conservation and rehabilition spanning almost half a century, the appearance of the village today is close to that of the early nineteenth century, when the mill buildings formed one of the largest industrial groups in the world. At New Lanark, David Dale and Robert Owen created a model for industrial communities that was to spread across the world in the 19th and 20th centuries, establishing a milestone in social and industrial history, and having lasting influences on society, even two hundred years on.
New Lanark's incription as a UNESCO World heritage site confirms it's Outstanding Universal Value. You can read more about New Lanark and its Outstanding Universal Value on the UNESCO website.
The management of the World Heritage property New Lanark is the responsibility of its three main partners: South Lanarkshire Council, Historic Environment Scotland and the New Lanark Trust. The New Lanark Management Plan is endorsed and strategically overseen by the management partners, who also assume responsibility for its implementation. The sustainable management of tourism at New Lanark is addressed in the Management Plan. The Partnership Group, through the implementation of the Management Plan, ensures that present and future tourism within the property is developed in an environmentally and economically sustainable way for the benefit of the local community.
The New Lanark World Heritage Site Buffer Zone is designed to comply with UNESCO guidance that buffer zones should include the immediate setting of the inscribed Site, important views and other areas or attributes that are functionally important to the support of the site and its protection. It takes account of key views into and from the site and other buildings and land in the surrounding area. The purpose of the buffer zone and sensitive area is to indicate areas where development proposals require careful consideration by developers and decision-makers to determine whether they are likely to significantly impact the WHS, its OUV, or its authenticity and integrity.
Download the New Lanark World Heritage Site Map of Designations
