Home Report Lanark

Lanark is a town of roughly 9000 residents in South Lanarkshire. Not to be confused with New Lanark village and UNESCO World Heritage Centre, which is roughly two miles to the south of the town, Lanark is a historic market town in the Clyde Valley and is one of the oldest royal burghs in Scotland, serving as an important market town throughout the medieval period and beyond. The town was historically the county town of the Lanarkshire region; however, this is a title which has now passed over to Hamilton. It was here also the spark of true rebellion was ignited in William Wallace after an English sheriff had murdered his wife whilst trying to capture the outlaw after a fracas had occurred in the town.

Fast forwarding some centuries, Lanark as we know it today is primarily a residential commuter town and a market centre for the surrounding agricultural area, with regular livestock sales every Monday. Transport links for Lanark are well developed. The town has its own train station and bus station, and both have frequent services to Motherwell and Glasgow. The A721 and A71 serve the town, and the M74 motorway is a short distance away offering connections to Greater Glasgow, to the M8 for Edinburgh, and destinations further afield.

Lanark has a good nucleus of businesses and amenities within its boundary and close by. In the town centre, there are various independent cafés, pubs and restaurants as well as the usual local businesses and services. Lanark Museum, which houses a collection of items which illustrate the history of the town, is housed in the town’s YMCA building. Other places of interest include Lanark Loch and Castlebank Park, which houses the former site of Lanark Castle. As mentioned earlier, New Lanark World Heritage Site is found about two miles south and attracts some 300,000 visitors each year to see the former 18th-century cotton spinning mill and village. It’s great for locals too, with a café to enjoy and open spaces for the kids to stretch their legs or play. The stunning Falls of Clyde are located here too. Also nearby are the Clyde Valley Woodlands National Nature Reserve, comprising six separate woodland sites in the Clyde Valley, along a 12km section of the River Clyde and its tributaries. Castlebank Park and Lanark Loch are also nearby. Lanark also has its own golf course, the moorland Lanark Golf Club which is the 25th oldest golf club in the world.

In terms of education, there are three primary schools in Lanark: Lanark Primary, Robert Owen Memorial Primary School and St. Mary’s Primary School. Lanark Grammar is the secondary school serving the town.