14 Dec 2001
Scottish Secretary Helen Liddell today congratulated New Lanark on becoming the fourth Scottish site to receive World Heritage Status.
New Lanark was awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO today, joining internationally renowned sites such as St Kilda, the Tower of London, the Giant’s Causeway and Gwynedd Castle.
Speaking at New Lanark following UNESCO’s announcement, Mrs Liddell said:
"As a regular visitor to New Lanark, I am delighted that the area has been inscribed on UNESCO’s prestigious World Heritage List. New Lanark has a rich history and today’s award puts the village firmly on the global map.
"New Lanark is the first industrial site in Scotland to be included on the list. It joins the existing sites of Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns, the Heart of Neolithic Orkney and St Kilda in demonstrating some of Scotland’s historic, cultural and natural heritage to a world wide audience.
"The award is excellent news for New Lanark Conservation Trust who have worked so hard in preserving the village. It will also help bring in even more tourists and visitors to the area, which is good news for the local economy.
"When a minister in the former Scottish Office, I was involved in drawing up the original list of UK sites from which nominations for World Heritage Status would be made. I am very pleased today to see such a deserving nomination meet with success."
NOTES FOR NEWS EDITORS
1. World Heritage Sites are places or buildings of exceptional universal value which deserve protection for the benefit of the community. They are designated by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO.
2. New Lanark is a major visitor attraction which has been hardly changed since the late 18thand early 19thcenturies. Since the mid 1970s, major conservation works have been carried out by the New Lanark Conservation Trust, an independent charity set up in 1975 to restore and preserve the village.
3. Other British sites which have been inscribed are the Derwent Valley Mills in Derbyshire, Saltaire in Yorkshire and the Dorset and East Devon Coast. This brings the total number of UK sites to 24.
4. The nomination for New Lanark was evaluated by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) before the final decision was taken today by the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO in Helsinki.